Get a recap of actor Sean Hayes' search for his Irish roots—as well as tips about
the records he discovered along the way—from this "Who Do You Think You Are?" recap
by guest blogger Sunny Jane Morton:

I lost count of how many times Sean Hayes’ jaw dropped during last night’s episode
of "Who Do You Think You Are?" After a certain point, he just had to laugh as he learned
more of the sad twists and turns in his family history.

His story starts close to home, with a father who dropped out of his own life. Hayes
wondered what led his father to that decision. Research confirms old gossip that his
father was placed in an orphanage as a child, after Hayes’ grandmother had hip surgery
and his grandfather disappeared from the picture.

Chicago documents trace Hayes' grandfather as a young man to a slum known to house
men who were down on their luck. Medical records were a surprising and interesting
find; these often are either lost or privacy-protected. They hint at alcoholism and
estrangement from his family. The grandfather’s story ends with a death certificate
at age 40. But it gives his father’s name, and the story continues back in time.

Here he finds Great-grandpa Hayes jailed a few times. One conviction was eyebrow-raising:
Patrick Jr. and his brother were jointly prosecuted for attacking their father, Patrick
Sr. The final jail sentence ended just before the younger Patrick hopped a ship to
the United States.

The story of Patrick Sr., Sean Hayes' great-great-grandfather, is spelled out in a
long list of convictions over a 50-year span. During a period of relative calm, Patrick
Sr. married and started a family. But a persistent streak of drunk-and-disorderlies
follows in the wake of his wife’s death, when Patrick Jr. was about 10 years old.

“There's definitely a cycle,” Hayes concludes of fatherly behavior patterns in his
family. “It doesn’t excuse their behavior, but you kind of understand why. You have
to have compassion.”

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Sean Hayes Discovers His Irish Family Historyhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,bdec6916-89b5-4d86-960e-7e26c1b621cc.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/03/30/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreSeanHayesDiscoversHisIrishFamilyHistory.aspx
Mon, 30 Mar 2015 14:07:35 GMT<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/Sean%20Hayes%20WDYTYA.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Get a recap of actor Sean Hayes' search for his Irish roots—as well as tips about
the records he discovered along the way—from this "Who Do You Think You Are?" recap
by guest blogger Sunny Jane Morton:
<br>
<br>
I lost count of how many times Sean Hayes’ jaw dropped during last night’s episode
of "Who Do You Think You Are?" After a certain point, he just had to laugh as he learned
more of the sad twists and turns in his family history.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
His story starts close to home, with a father who dropped out of his own life. Hayes
wondered what led his father to that decision. Research confirms old gossip that his
father was placed in an orphanage as a child, after Hayes’ grandmother had hip surgery
and his grandfather disappeared from the picture.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Chicago documents trace Hayes' grandfather as a young man to a slum known to house
men who were down on their luck. Medical records were a surprising and interesting
find; these often are either lost or privacy-protected. They hint at alcoholism and
estrangement from his family. The grandfather’s story ends with a death certificate
at age 40. But it gives his father’s name, and the story continues back in time.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Hayes gets to open the original <a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/Now-What-Its-Only-Natural">naturalization
books</a> for his great-grandfather Patrick Hayes, Jr., which lead to more records
overseas: Irish prison ledgers. <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2043780">The
free FamilySearch.org has a searchable index of Irish Prison Registers, 1790-1924</a>.
If you're using the site at a FamilySearch Center (or if you're a member of the LDS
church with a Findmypast login), you also click to see the record image for free. <a href="http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/irish-prison-registers-1790-1924">You
also can search these Irish prison registers and&nbsp; and view record images with
a subscription to Findmypast.com</a>.<br>
<br>
Here he finds Great-grandpa Hayes jailed a few times. One conviction was eyebrow-raising:
Patrick Jr. and his brother were jointly prosecuted for attacking their father, Patrick
Sr. The final jail sentence ended just before the younger Patrick hopped a ship to
the United States.
<br>
&nbsp;<br>
The story of Patrick Sr., Sean Hayes' great-great-grandfather, is spelled out in a
long list of convictions over a 50-year span. During a period of relative calm, Patrick
Sr. married and started a family. But a persistent streak of drunk-and-disorderlies
follows in the wake of his wife’s death, when Patrick Jr. was about 10 years old.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
“There's definitely a cycle,” Hayes concludes of fatherly behavior patterns in his
family. “It doesn’t excuse their behavior, but you kind of understand why. You have
to have compassion.”<br>
<br>
Got Irish roots like Sean? Pick up a copy of the excellent guide <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/tracing-your-irish-ancestors-gpc2385/?lid=DHftbl033015z8854"><i>Tracing
Your Irish Ancestors</i></a> by John Grenham, <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/tracing-your-irish-ancestors-gpc2385/?lid=DHftbl033015z8854">available
in ShopFamilyTree.com</a>.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=bdec6916-89b5-4d86-960e-7e26c1b621cc" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,bdec6916-89b5-4d86-960e-7e26c1b621cc.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsUK and Irish rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=ac424b1d-07da-47e1-9e53-e0b588a8ca58http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,ac424b1d-07da-47e1-9e53-e0b588a8ca58.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,ac424b1d-07da-47e1-9e53-e0b588a8ca58.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=ac424b1d-07da-47e1-9e53-e0b588a8ca581

Follow along as "Who Do You Think You Are?" correspondent Sunny Jane Morton recaps
last night's episode, featuring actor Angie Harmon's hunt for her Revolutionary roots.

Last night’s "Who
Do You Think You Are?" is the first show this season to stay in the United States.
But I didn’t miss the exotic eye-candy of foreign vistas. I loved the quintessentially
American tale that led into a little-known and surprising episode in US military history.

Celebrity guest Angie Harmon explored
the story of her fifth-great grandfather, German immigrant Michael Harmon. She was
surprised to learn how he got to come to America in 1772: as an indentured servant
whose labor was sold to the highest bidder to pay off his passage. He finished out
his term of service as an enlisted man in the 4th Pennsylvania regiment. Along with
thousands of fellow troops, he suffered through winter quarters at Valley
Forge under Gen. George Washington’s command.

The actor was feeling pretty proud of her ancestor until she learned that his regiment
mutinied a few years later. Fortunately she looked for a little more historical context
before she judged her ancestor too harshly. The troops had lived for months on few
provisions and little of the pay that was owed them and. “Every man has his breaking
point,” she decided. They weren’t disloyal, just fed up, a conclusion that seemed
supported by the regiment’s rejection of a British offer to buy their loyalty.

Several great record examples appeared as we learned more about Michael Harmon: indenture
records, regimental histories, a military pay slip, tax records and a will. Examining
the will, Angie Harmon becomes noticeably excited as she finds the name of Michael’s
wife and seven children. An entire family reconstructed in a single document: genealogical
paydirt.

Wills are usually available in probate court (also called chancery court or orphans
court) records for the county where the will was filed. FamilySearch has
many counties’ probate records on microfilm; try searching
the online catalog for the name of the county and then looking for a probate heading.
If the film is digitized on FamilySearch.org, the catalog will link you to that film.
If it’s not on microfilm or digitized, you can write to the courthouse (if you know
the date the will was filed or have a file number, information that might available
in an index published by the local genealogical society) or visit in person.

Angie Harmon brings along her three young daughters on a visit to the ancestral farm
in the rolling green hills of Kentucky. The last reveal is the current owner: a cousin,
Michael Harmon, 220 years after the first Michael Harmon:

If you’ve got deep US roots, some of the record sets that proved helpful to Harmon’s
research could help yours, too. Enlist the aid of military records with our US
Military Records independent study course. You’ll learn about different kinds
of records created over time, including service, pension, bounty land and draft records.
Then get up to speed on tax records, estate files and other county-level records in
our Courthouse
Research Crash Course OnDemand Webinar.

Next week's "Who Do You Think You Are?" features actor Sean Hayes and his Irish family
history. Tune in Sunday, March 29 at 10/9 Central.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Angie Harmon Traces American Revolution Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,ac424b1d-07da-47e1-9e53-e0b588a8ca58.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/03/23/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreAngieHarmonTracesAmericanRevolutionRoots.aspx
Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:08:42 GMT<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/harmon-1.png" border="0" height="270" width="364">
<br>
<br>
Follow along as "Who Do You Think You Are?" correspondent Sunny Jane Morton recaps
last night's episode, featuring actor Angie Harmon's hunt for her Revolutionary roots.<br>
<br>
Last night’s "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" is the first show this season to stay in the United States.
But I didn’t miss the exotic eye-candy of foreign vistas. I loved the quintessentially
American tale that led into a little-known and surprising episode in US military history.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Celebrity guest <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004990/">Angie Harmon</a> explored
the story of her fifth-great grandfather, German immigrant Michael Harmon. She was
surprised to learn how he got to come to America in 1772: as an indentured servant
whose labor was sold to the highest bidder to pay off his passage. He finished out
his term of service as an enlisted man in the 4th Pennsylvania regiment. Along with
thousands of fellow troops, he suffered through winter quarters at <a href="http://www.ushistory.org/march/phila/valleyforge.htm">Valley
Forge</a> under Gen. George Washington’s command.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
The actor was feeling pretty proud of her ancestor until she learned that his regiment
mutinied a few years later. Fortunately she looked for a little more historical context
before she judged her ancestor too harshly. The troops had lived for months on few
provisions and little of the pay that was owed them and. “Every man has his breaking
point,” she decided. They weren’t disloyal, just fed up, a conclusion that seemed
supported by the regiment’s rejection of a British offer to buy their loyalty.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Several great record examples appeared as we learned more about Michael Harmon: indenture
records, regimental histories, a military pay slip, tax records and a will. Examining
the will, Angie Harmon becomes noticeably excited as she finds the name of Michael’s
wife and seven children. An entire family reconstructed in a single document: genealogical
paydirt.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Wills are usually available in probate court (also called chancery court or orphans
court) records for the county where the will was filed. <a href="http://www.familysearch.org">FamilySearch</a> has
many counties’ probate records on microfilm; try <a href="https://familysearch.org/catalog-search">searching
the online catalog</a> for the name of the county and then looking for a probate heading.
If the film is digitized on FamilySearch.org, the catalog will link you to that film.
If it’s not on microfilm or digitized, you can write to the courthouse (if you know
the date the will was filed or have a file number, information that might available
in an index published by the local genealogical society) or visit in person.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/now-what-finding-wills">FamilyTreeMagazine.com
has some tips here for finding your ancestors' wills</a>.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Angie Harmon brings along her three young daughters on a visit to the ancestral farm
in the rolling green hills of Kentucky. The last reveal is the current owner: a cousin,
Michael Harmon, 220 years after the first Michael Harmon:<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/harmon-2.png" border="0" height="377" width="244">
<br>
&nbsp;<br>
If you’ve got deep US roots, some of the record sets that proved helpful to Harmon’s
research could help yours, too. Enlist the aid of military records with our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/us-military-records-download/?lid=DHftbl032015w0575">US
Military Records independent study course</a>. You’ll learn about different kinds
of records created over time, including service, pension, bounty land and draft records.
Then get up to speed on tax records, estate files and other county-level records in
our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/courthouse-research-crash-course-ondemand-webinar/?lid=DHftbl032015t8419">Courthouse
Research Crash Course OnDemand Webinar</a>.<br>
<br>
Next week's "Who Do You Think You Are?" features actor Sean Hayes and his Irish family
history. Tune in Sunday, March 29 at 10/9 Central.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=ac424b1d-07da-47e1-9e53-e0b588a8ca58" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,ac424b1d-07da-47e1-9e53-e0b588a8ca58.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootscourt recordsMilitary recordshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=62297f00-1ca6-4161-a154-17aada1a8e73http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,62297f00-1ca6-4161-a154-17aada1a8e73.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,62297f00-1ca6-4161-a154-17aada1a8e73.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=62297f00-1ca6-4161-a154-17aada1a8e73

He served in the Revolutionary War at Valley Forge, mutinied in protest of the lack
of pay, food and clothing; and eventually became a landowner in Kentucky. At the end
of the show, Angie Harmon brings her daughters to visit that land and meets the cousin
who owns it today.

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Angie Harmon To Trace Her American Revolution Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,62297f00-1ca6-4161-a154-17aada1a8e73.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/03/20/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreAngieHarmonToTraceHerAmericanRevolutionRoots.aspx
Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:06:55 GMT<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/wdytya-harmon.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
After a <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/03/16/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreJoshGrobanExploresHisGermanRoots.aspx">whirlwind
trip to Germany last week</a>, this Sunday's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" stays close to home as actor <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004990/">Angie
Harmon</a> traces her indentured servant fifth-great-grandfather, Michael Harmon.
<br>
<br>
He served in the Revolutionary War at Valley Forge, mutinied in protest of the lack
of pay, food and clothing; and eventually became a landowner in Kentucky. At the end
of the show, Angie Harmon brings her daughters to visit that land and meets the cousin
who owns it today.
<br>
<br>
The show airs Sunday, March 22, at 10 ET/9 Central on TLC.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/angie-harmon/">You
can get a sneak peek at the Angie Harmon "WDYTYA?" episode on the show's website</a>.
Come back here on Monday for our "WDYTYA?" recap.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=62297f00-1ca6-4161-a154-17aada1a8e73" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,62297f00-1ca6-4161-a154-17aada1a8e73.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=a64efabf-a3b6-469e-a731-a2b910cbf0b3http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a64efabf-a3b6-469e-a731-a2b910cbf0b3.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a64efabf-a3b6-469e-a731-a2b910cbf0b3.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=a64efabf-a3b6-469e-a731-a2b910cbf0b31

This post is brought to us by guest blogger and our "Who Do You Think You Are?" special
correspondent, Sunny Jane Morton:

Josh Groban didn’t sing his way through
last night’s episode of "Who
Do You Think You Are?" But the multiplatinum singer still commanded center stage
as he pursued the story of a distant grandfather, eight generations back.

The story starts with a widow and her children arriving in Pennsylvania in the late
1600s, according to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. This resource, searchable
on Ancestry.com and in print at many large libraries, is helpful for tracing early
immigrants. The index transcribes information from a variety of resources, such as
emigration lists and genealogical journals.

Groban followed the trail of the missing husband, his eighth-great-grandfather, back
to Germany. Here he discovered that Johann Zimmermann was an educated Lutheran church
deacon, astronomer and singing instructor. It was easy to see how pleased Josh was
to hold a music textbook from which Johann would have taught.

Then Johann’s story turned sad. He observed Halley’s
Comet in the night sky, which he thought forecast doom for a corrupt Lutheran
church. He published this opinion under a pseudonym, but was found out and got in
big trouble with the church court. He pleaded to keep his job, mentioning his "heavily
pregnant" wife in a letter to the duke. With each German document or book he viewed,
Groban also received a neatly typed English translation.

In the episode, Groban took a whirlwind tour of German church and university archives,
where he paged through 17th-century books and held documents written by his ancestor.
He stood in the courtyard of Johann’s university dormitory. He climbed to the belfry
where Johann may have stood to examine the night sky.

It was clear Groban wasn’t sure what to make of his ancestor’s radical opinions. Many
genealogists can relate to having ancestors whose value systems differ markedly from
our own. He didn’t try too hard to judge the distant past by today’s standards. Instead,
he looked at other indicators of the man’s character, like his willingness to sacrifice
for his beliefs and his desire to take good care of his family.

If you're tracing German ancestors (and you aren’t a celebrity guest on "WDYTYA?"),
check our popular Family
Tree German Genealogy Guide by James M. Beidler. It has advice on discovering
where in Germany your immigrant ancestor came from, as well as on researching in the
records of Germany. Our German
Genealogy Cheat Sheet is a handy quick reference, with a German alphabet guide
to help you read old records, a word list and more.

» Sunny Jane Morton

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Josh Groban Explores His German Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a64efabf-a3b6-469e-a731-a2b910cbf0b3.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/03/16/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreJoshGrobanExploresHisGermanRoots.aspx
Mon, 16 Mar 2015 14:18:05 GMT<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/0Josh%20Groban%20WDYTYA.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
This post is brought to us by guest blogger and our "Who Do You Think You Are?" special
correspondent, Sunny Jane Morton:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.joshgroban.com/stages">Josh Groban</a> didn’t sing his way through
last night’s episode of "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" But the multiplatinum singer still commanded center stage
as he pursued the story of a distant grandfather, eight generations back.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
The story starts with a widow and her children arriving in Pennsylvania in the late
1600s, according to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. This resource, <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-3910067-11745137?url=http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7486">searchable
on Ancestry.com</a> and in print at many large libraries, is helpful for tracing early
immigrants. The index transcribes information from a variety of resources, such as
emigration lists and genealogical journals.
<br>
<br>
Groban followed the trail of the missing husband, his eighth-great-grandfather, back
to Germany. Here he discovered that Johann Zimmermann was an educated Lutheran church
deacon, astronomer and singing instructor. It was easy to see how pleased Josh was
to hold a music textbook from which Johann would have taught.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Then Johann’s story turned sad. He observed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet">Halley’s
Comet</a> in the night sky, which he thought forecast doom for a corrupt Lutheran
church. He published this opinion under a pseudonym, but was found out and got in
big trouble with the church court. He pleaded to keep his job, mentioning his "heavily
pregnant" wife in a letter to the duke. With each German document or book he viewed,
Groban also received a neatly typed English translation.<br>
<br>
Desperate to hold onto his beliefs without causing his family more suffering, he headed
for Quaker Pennsylvania. He didn’t make it, but they did. (Here's some <a href="http://www.dutchgenealogy.nl/the-josh-groban-episode-the-dutch-part/">behind-the-scenes,
cutting-room-floor info on Johann's burial site in Rotterdam</a>.)<br>
&nbsp;<br>
In the episode, Groban took a whirlwind tour of German church and university archives,
where he paged through 17th-century books and held documents written by his ancestor.
He stood in the courtyard of Johann’s university dormitory. He climbed to the belfry
where Johann may have stood to examine the night sky.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
It was clear Groban wasn’t sure what to make of his ancestor’s radical opinions. Many
genealogists can relate to having ancestors whose value systems differ markedly from
our own. He didn’t try too hard to judge the distant past by today’s standards. Instead,
he looked at other indicators of the man’s character, like his willingness to sacrifice
for his beliefs and his desire to take good care of his family.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Until his "WDYTYA?" appearance, Groban had no idea he had German roots—a heritage
he shares with around 50 million Americans. German-Americans played a major role in
populating the United States and constitute the <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21642222-americas-largest-ethnic-group-has-assimilated-so-well-people-barely-notice-it">largest
single ethnic group in the United States today</a>.
<br>
&nbsp;<br>
If you're tracing German ancestors (and you aren’t a celebrity guest on "WDYTYA?"),
check our popular&nbsp; <a href="www.shopfamilytree.com/the-family-tree-german-genealogy-guide-group/?lid=Dhftbl031615GROUP-U4833-U4834"><i>Family
Tree German Genealogy Guide</i></a> by James M. Beidler. It has advice on discovering
where in Germany your immigrant ancestor came from, as well as on researching in the
records of Germany. Our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/digd-german-genealogy-cheat-sheet/?lid=DHftbl031615u1888">German
Genealogy Cheat Sheet</a> is a handy quick reference, with a German alphabet guide
to help you read old records, a word list and more.
<br>
<div align="right">» Sunny Jane Morton<br>
</div>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=a64efabf-a3b6-469e-a731-a2b910cbf0b3" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a64efabf-a3b6-469e-a731-a2b910cbf0b3.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Ancestry.comCelebrity RootsGerman rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=3ba9d33a-bf8b-4fda-9af7-a5358702a1bbhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,3ba9d33a-bf8b-4fda-9af7-a5358702a1bb.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,3ba9d33a-bf8b-4fda-9af7-a5358702a1bb.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=3ba9d33a-bf8b-4fda-9af7-a5358702a1bbFamily Tree Magazine contributing editor Sunny Jane Morton serves as our "Who
Do You Think You Are?" special correspondent this season. She'll guest blog with highlights
and research tips from each episode, including tips on where to find the genealogy
records you see on-screen.

Here's Sunny's report on last night's premiere:

"Who Do You Think
You Are?" launched its new season yesterday on TLC with a celebrity guest who's
built her own career on investigating other people’s stories: Julie
Chen, TV personality and CBS producer.

The episode takes us to China for the first time in the show’s history. The story
that unfolds about Chen’s grandfather Lou Gaw Tong is “riches-to-rags-to-riches.”
He became an emigrant who continued to love his homeland. During World War II, he
risked his life smuggling ammunition through Japanese-occupied territory to the Chinese
resistance. He was a self-made businessman who started a school in his home village
that still thrives today, and that Chen visited.

As Chen discovers, her grandfather’s interest in education reaches back to a generation
Julie knew nothing about. I won’t give away everything she learns, for those who want
to watch the episode later (on your DVR, in a rerun, or possibly online if the episode
becomes available on
the show's website). But there are some tender moments as she learns about tough
family history. By the end, she leaves China with, she says, “a firmer understanding
of who I am today and why I am the way I am.”

Appropriately for a newswoman, Chen’s first real connection to her grandfather’s story
is through his obituaries. She learns the name of his home province and village in
China, more details about his business, and about his philanthropy. Hints about his
"unnatural" troubled childhood intrigue her even more and drive her to search for
answers about his entire life.

Newspaper obituaries are often our first window into an ancestor’s life story. It’s
most common to find obituaries by the late 1800s and especially the 20th century.
These often contain clues that censuses and even vital records may not tell us. You
often find biographical and personal details that person was remembered for by loved
ones.

Next week on WDYTYA?: Singer Josh Groban discovers
his distant grandfather was a renowned scientist who got the attention of the great
Sir Isaac Newton. Tune in on TLC on Sunday, March 15, at 10pm/9pm Central.

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Julie Chen Explores Roots in China http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,3ba9d33a-bf8b-4fda-9af7-a5358702a1bb.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/03/09/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreJulieChenExploresRootsInChina.aspx
Mon, 09 Mar 2015 14:02:57 GMT <i>Family Tree Magazine</i> contributing editor Sunny Jane Morton serves as our "Who
Do You Think You Are?" special correspondent this season. She'll guest blog with highlights
and research tips from each episode, including tips on where to find the genealogy
records you see on-screen.
<br>
<br>
Here's Sunny's report on last night's premiere:<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/1JulieChenschool.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
"<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/">Who Do You Think
You Are?</a>" launched its new season yesterday on TLC with a celebrity guest who's
built her own career on investigating other people’s stories: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Chen">Julie
Chen</a>, TV personality and CBS producer.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
The episode takes us to China for the first time in the show’s history. The story
that unfolds about Chen’s grandfather Lou Gaw Tong is “riches-to-rags-to-riches.”
He became an emigrant who continued to love his homeland. During World War II, he
risked his life smuggling ammunition through Japanese-occupied territory to the Chinese
resistance. He was a self-made businessman who started a school in his home village
that still thrives today, and that Chen visited.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
As Chen discovers, her grandfather’s interest in education reaches back to a generation
Julie knew nothing about. I won’t give away everything she learns, for those who want
to watch the episode later (on your DVR, in a rerun, or possibly online if the episode
becomes available <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/">on
the show's website</a>). But there are some tender moments as she learns about tough
family history. By the end, she leaves China with, she says, “a firmer understanding
of who I am today and why I am the way I am.”<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Appropriately for a newswoman, Chen’s first real connection to her grandfather’s story
is through his obituaries. She learns the name of his home province and village in
China, more details about his business, and about his philanthropy. Hints about his
"unnatural" troubled childhood intrigue her even more and drive her to search for
answers about his entire life.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Newspaper obituaries are often our first window into an ancestor’s life story. It’s
most common to find obituaries by the late 1800s and especially the 20th century.
These often contain clues that censuses and even vital records may not tell us. You
often find biographical and personal details that person was remembered for by loved
ones.
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.familysearch.org">FamilySearch</a>'s indexing partnership with
digitized newspaper site <a href="http://genealogybank.com">GenealogyBank</a> is making
it easier to find online obituaries. The names, death date and other basic details
are <a href="https://familysearch.org/obituaries/">searchable and indexed at FamilySearch.org</a>;
the full obituary is available with a GenealogyBank subscription. You also can search
sites such as subscription-based <a href="http://newspapers.com">Newspapers.com</a> and
the free <a href="http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/">Chronicling America</a>. Some
local libraries have obituary indexes you can search, and even digitized newspapers.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Learn more about newspaper research with our video class, <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/exploring-digital-newspapers/?lid=DHftbl030915T7014">Exploring
Digital Newspapers</a>, <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/exploring-digital-newspapers/?lid=DHftbl030915T7014">available
in ShopFamilyTree.com</a>. Or grab our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/online-newspapers-web-guide?/lid=DHftbl030915t4075">Online
Newspapers Web Guide</a> and start searching old newspapers right away. See what stories
they lead to.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Next week on WDYTYA?: Singer <a href="http://www.joshgroban.com/">Josh Groban</a> discovers
his distant grandfather was a renowned scientist who got the attention of the great
Sir Isaac Newton. Tune in on TLC on Sunday, March 15, at 10pm/9pm Central.<br>
<br>
You also can follow the show <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/">on
the TLC website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wdytya">on Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/wdytya">on
Twitter (@WDYTYA)</a>.<br>
<br>
<div align="right">
» Sunny Jane Morton<br>
</div>
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Don't forget! "Who Do You Think You Are?" (US) debuts this Sunday at 10/9 Central
on TLC, with Julie Chen's visit to China to learn more about her maternal grandfather. See
the series schedule (including reruns) here. If you don't have cable or you have
to call it a night earlier than that, episodes usually become available on
the show's website after airing.

Also keep an eye on the show's "Be
a 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Star" sweepstakes, which isn't open yet. It'll reward
the winner with a trip to your family's homeland and a professional guide, Ancestry.com
products (Ancestry.com is a show sponsor) and a trip to a Hollywood movie premiere.

To raise money for Alzheimer's disease research, the Global
Family Reunion has launched a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo: When you buy
campaign perks, the proceeds go to The Alzheimer’s Association New York City and the
Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. Perks include tickets to the reunion (June 6, 2015, in New
York City), a signed copy of event organizer AJ Jacobs' upcoming book It's All
Relative, or a "computer visualization of how you’re linked to your 20,000 closest
relatives."

Genealogy News Corral: March 2-6http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,256f1e0c-2a4f-4edb-993d-70b3ad3689c5.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/03/06/GenealogyNewsCorralMarch26.aspx
Fri, 06 Mar 2015 19:34:16 GMT<ul>
<li>
Don't forget! "Who Do You Think You Are?" (US) debuts this Sunday at 10/9 Central
on TLC, with Julie Chen's visit to China to learn more about her maternal grandfather. <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/what-not-to-wear-tv-schedule/">See
the series schedule (including reruns) here</a>. If you don't have cable or you have
to call it a night earlier than that, episodes usually become available <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/">on
the show's website</a> after airing.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/02/04/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreCelebrityGuestsAnnouncedForSpring2015.aspx">You
can see the lineup of this season's celebrity guests here</a>.<br>
</blockquote> <blockquote>Also keep an eye on the show's <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/sweepstakes-2015/">"Be
a 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Star"</a> sweepstakes, which isn't open yet. It'll reward
the winner with a trip to your family's homeland and a professional guide, Ancestry.com
products (Ancestry.com is a show sponsor) and a trip to a Hollywood movie premiere.
<br>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
The <a href="http://texashistory.unt.edu/">University of North Texas Libraries' Portal
to Texas History</a> is among <a href="http://www.imls.gov/thirty_museums_and_libraries_tapped_as_finalists_for_national_medal.aspx">30
finalists</a> for the 2015 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The Portal
to Texas History has digitized newspapers, yearbooks, photos and more.
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>The Institute of Museum and Library Services asks you to share a story
about your favorite National Medal finalist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USIMLS">on
its Facebook page</a>—which I did, after finding <a href="http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth470287/m1/2/zoom/?q=haddad%20date%3A1900-1935&amp;zoom=3&amp;lat=1745.5&amp;lon=2631.5&amp;layers=BT">my
grandfather named in a Temple Daily Times newspaper article</a> on the Portal to Texas
History.
<br>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
To raise money for Alzheimer's disease research, the <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-global-family-reunion-festival">Global
Family Reunion has launched a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo</a>: When you buy
campaign perks, the proceeds go to The Alzheimer’s Association New York City and the
Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. Perks include tickets to the reunion (June 6, 2015, in New
York City), a signed copy of event organizer AJ Jacobs' upcoming book <i>It's All
Relative</i>, or a "computer visualization of how you’re linked to your 20,000 closest
relatives."
<br>
<br>
Jacobs' grandfather's struggle with dementia inspired the fundraiser. <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-global-family-reunion-festival">Learn
more and purchase your perks here</a>.<br>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
The <a href="http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org">Genealogical Speakers Guild</a> (GSG)
has made its quarterly newsletter, <i>Speak!</i>, available to the general public—a
great way toget speaking tips and find speakers for genealogy events. <a href="http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/">You
can download the March 2015 issue from the GSG website</a>.
</li>
</ul>
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TLC has announced the celebrity guests
for the Spring 2015 season of "Who
Do You Think You Are?", the series that explores the family histories of famous
folks.

The series will premiere Sunday, March 8 (a different date from TLC's previously announced
Feb. 24). Watch a video sneak peek on
the show's website.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Celebrity Guests Announced for Spring 2015http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,10b4917b-72c0-45d6-b354-8463ebbd3d88.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2015/02/04/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreCelebrityGuestsAnnouncedForSpring2015.aspx
Wed, 04 Feb 2015 21:17:58 GMTTLC has announced the celebrity guests for the Spring 2015 season of
"<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>", the series that explores the family histories of famous
folks.
<br>
<br>
Here they are, in order of expected appearance on the series:<br>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<ul>
<li>
TV personality <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155277/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Julie
Chen</a></b> takes the series to China</li>
<li>
Singer <b><a href="http://www.joshgroban.com/">Josh Groban</a></b> learns about an
astronomer ancestorrch 15:
</li>
<li>
Actor <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004990/">Angie Harmon</a></b> learns
a family member might have fought under George Washington</li>
<li>
Actor <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005003/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Sean Hayes</a></b> discovers
his father's side of the family in Ireland</li>
<li>
Actor and director <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001282/">Tony Goldwyn</a></b> explores
the maternal side of his family</li>
<li>
Actor <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1065229/">America Ferrara</a></b> traces
roots in Honduras</li>
<li>
Actor <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000200/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Bill Paxton</a></b> learns
about his family history in the American Revolution</li>
<li>
Singer <b><a href="http://www.melissaetheridge.com/">Melissa Etheridge</a></b> searches
for paternal ancestors in Quebec</li>
</ul>
The series will premiere Sunday, March 8 (a different date from TLC's previously announced
Feb. 24). Watch a video sneak peek <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/">on
the show's website</a>.
</div>
<p>
</p>
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TLC has announced the premiere date and a partial lineup for the next season of the
genealogy TV show "Who
Do You Think You Are?"

We'll see eight episodes of "Who Do You Think You Are?" this year, with the premiere
scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10/9 central. (This gives us an unbroken 14 weeks
of Tuesday evening genealogy viewing, as PBS' "Genealogy Roadshow" airs weekly Jan.
13-Feb. 17.)

Four of the celebrity guests who'll explore their family history on this season's
episodes are:

Julie Chen,
television personality, who takes the series to China for the first time

Angie Harmon,
actor, who learns a relative served under Gen. George Washington

Bill Paxton,
actor/director/producer, who learns about his family's part in the American Revolution

The series is produced by Shed Media and Is or Isn't Entertainment, and sponsored
by Ancestry.com,
which also provides the research into guests' family trees.

Here's a quick preview of the 2015 season:

and a clip of coproducer Lisa Kudrow talking about the show on "The Talk":

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Announces 2015 Premiere & Partial Celebrity Lineuphttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,af516aa7-7c8f-4ae0-abb6-792da625afbf.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/12/17/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreAnnounces2015PremierePartialCelebrityLineup.aspx
Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:52:29 GMT TLC has announced the premiere date and a partial lineup for the
next season of the genealogy TV show "<a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-3910067-11745137?url=http://www.ancestry.com">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>"
<br>
<br>
We'll see eight episodes of "Who Do You Think You Are?" this year, with the premiere
scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10/9 central. (This gives us an unbroken 14 weeks
of Tuesday evening genealogy viewing, as PBS' "Genealogy Roadshow" airs weekly Jan.
13-Feb. 17.)<br>
<br>
Four of the celebrity guests who'll explore their family history on this season's
episodes are:<br>
<ul>
<li>
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155277/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm">Julie Chen</a></b>,
television personality, who takes the series to China for the first time</li>
<li>
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004990/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Angie Harmon</a></b>,
actor, who learns a relative served under Gen. George Washington</li>
<li>
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005003/">Sean Hayes</a></b>, actor/producer,
who discovers his paternal Irish roots</li>
<li>
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000200/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Bill Paxton</a></b>,
actor/director/producer, who learns about his family's part in the American Revolution</li>
</ul>
The series is produced by Shed Media and Is or Isn't Entertainment, and sponsored
by <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-3910067-11745137?url=http://www.ancestry.com">Ancestry.com</a>,
which also provides the research into guests' family trees.<br>
<br>
Here's a quick preview of the 2015 season:<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/885405/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640">
</iframe>
<br>
<br>
and a clip of coproducer Lisa Kudrow talking about the show on "The Talk":<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/885403/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640">
</iframe>
<br>
<p>
</p>
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I had the chance recently to interview
Dan Bucatinsky, coproducer (with Lisa Kudrow) of TLC's
"Who Do You Think You Are?"

We talked about why the show researches celebrities instead of average-Joe genealogists,
how casting and filming happen, and his wish list. My questions were inspired by comments
we've heard from many of you on social media, by my own impressions of the show, and
by the conversation.

You can barely hear me ask my questions (stupid recording device) (it’s probably something
I did), but Bucatinsky comes through loud and clear, so I don't think that harms what
you can learn about the show. I hate my voice in recordings anyway.

His kids run into the room about halfway through, which I thought was cute (much more
so than when my kids do this to me).

You can tell this was just after the Jesse Tyler Ferguson episode, because he talks
about the upcoming shows with the McAdamses, Valerie Bertinelli and Kelsey Grammer.
Yes, it took me awhile to get this together for you.

If you can’t listen, or you just want to know what you’re in for, here’s the gist:

Why profile just celebrities?
The comment/question we at Family Tree Magazine most often hear about "Who
Do You Think You Are?" is "Why doesn't the show trace the roots of someone who isn't
famous?" ("Like me?" is usually implied.) So I asked.

Basically, the explanation is what I thought it would be: In order to stay on TV,
the show needs to attract a general audience—not just a genealogical one. To do that,
it needs the celebrity "hook."

While the show certainly is meant to inspire, Bucatinsky says, "There is a reality
about television ... in order to get the high volume of viewership on any network
or any website, you need to find a very, very high level of public interest, one that
crosses many circles of demographics."

"The casting process is extremely intense, and if we didn't have the well-known ‘tour
guides,’ we would have probably a very difficult time getting people to engage, even
though it doesn't mean the stories would be any less interesting. Even if you get
maybe 100,000 people who are interested in genealogy, which is a big number, it's
not a big number for television."

He said the producers’ ratings research bears out this statement: The higher the profile
of the celebrity featured, the higher the ratings numbers.

How are the celebrities selected?
Casting the celebrity guests can be surprisingly difficult. In the first couple of
years, Bucatinsky and Kudrow reached out to people they knew personally. Now that
word is out in celebrity circles, stars' representatives tell producers they're willing
to participate, and they go on a list.

"Any celebrity who has done the show has raved about their experience on it," Bucatinsky
says.

But that’s not all: Although it’s hard to tell when research begins where an ancestral
story will go, producers aim for variety. TLC gets a say, too. “One thing we do, when
we have control over it, is try to create as much diversity as possible,” Bucatinsky
says. “We'll try to see if the preliminary research makes the story feel like it will
be diverse. We get approval from the network ... [the talent] has to coincide with
what they know their viewership wants to see.”

The guest’s schedule also has to mesh with the show’s production schedule. “I can't
even imagine another show that's as complicated to produce. The Rubik's cube of getting
the talent approved, getting a story that actually feels like it's gonna break and
be interesting enough to shoot, and getting a celebrity's schedule to tie in with
our production schedule and the release dates is—I can't begin to tell you how complicated
it is.”

How was the transition to TLC?
I also asked Bucatinsky about the show’s move from NBC to TLC before last season,
and whether he feels it fits on a network that’s also home to shows like "Honey Boo
Boo." (No offense to "Honey Boo Boo" fans out there—it's just a different kind of
show from "Who Do You Think You Are?")

He thinks family history has a broad enough appeal that “Who Do You Think You Are?”
is interesting to a range of audiences. "We certainly had our trepidation about 'hmm,
I wonder if the audience for those shows is the same as our audience?' But there's
no question there's a very wide audience for ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’”

He added that TLC has been supportive of the show, and hasn’t asked for changes in
the formula.

What’s the most popular kind of story?
I’ve seen a lot of “types” of “Who Do You Think You Are?” episodes. Some focus on
one ancestor; some cover two or more. Some stay in the United States; some globe-trot.
I like stories that stick with one person, but others might think that slows the pace
too much. I wondered which approach is most popular with viewers.

All of the above, Bucatinsky says. It’s the emotional connection that matters. "I
feel like we've had really good success with stories where there's an emotional tie
to the protagonist. Christina Applegate's episode last season was quite popular. It
was partly because Christina herself has a wide audience, and partly because she was
making the journey for her father, who never really knew his mother. And to come to
so many amazing conclusions about his mother, and be able to bring her father to the
gravesite of his mother—it’s hugely cathartic stuff. "

“I love an episode that really is emotional and bring insight into somebody's grandparents,
who they remember as a kid but didn't know anything about," he adds. "And I also love
the stories that take you back and you don't even realize that you had relatives that
are part of the Mayflower or the Civil War or the Gold Rush—things you only
learn about in history books, and the context makes it much more relevant.”

“It's some combination of the popularity of the celebrity and the strength of the
story.” He also pointed out that how engaged the celebrity guest is plays a role.

Are the celebrity guests coached to do or say certain things?
Sometimes, I think, the celebrity seems to ask just the right question to segue into
the surprise discovery—almost as if the person was told what to say. That's not the
case, says Bucatinsky. "They may be prodded to find the information that we need them
to find. We know that they need to hit a page of a particular document that they're
wearing gloves to look at, so they will get guided to it, but the discovery itself
is always organic and authentic. There's very little coaching in the moment.”

The celebrity doesn’t know what he’ll find or where he’s going next, but the archivists
usually does. "Our archivist is someone who we've spoken to and found out information
from ... they're there ready to meet our celebrity, and when the celebrity arrives,
they will never have met before. ... Every bit of it that films our subject is filmed
originally and in the order of the journey. It's not rehearsed. It's a documentary."

How long does it take to film an episode?
“A whole journey would be anywhere between 8 and 23 days, but that includes travel
days,” Bucatinsky says. “We've had episodes that could probably have made really good
two-hour episodes. We try to do the best we can. If we think the season's going to
wind up on DVD, we'll put the scenes [there].”

Interestingly, an entire story line from Gwenyth Paltrow's episode didn't even make
it on the show.

Who’s your dream guest? (and other things he’d love to do with the show)
“I don't really focus on the person, I focus on plans and stories that we haven't
told before. I really want to tell a Latin American story.” (His family is from Argentina.)

“We haven't been to Asia, and it looks as though we're going to this season,” he added.
(Although the season finale is tonight, with Minnie Driver, and they stay in England.
Did I miss a trip to Asia?)

Although it seemed like he was going to evade the question, he later added, “If one
of the Obamas wanted to do it, that would be dreamy.”

I also asked about the possibility of a follow-up show that would tie up some of the
loose ends—such as what happened to the former spouses of Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s great-grandfather.
Bucatinsky mentioned the scheduling difficulties as an obstacle, but added, “What
I would want to try to do down the line is just start with one: One person who wants
to come back and revisit a story and see how it goes. There are other stories to be
explored, and it would be fun to have someone that people love come back.”

Interview With "Who Do You Think You Are?" Producer Dan Bucatinskyhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,65aecc08-f4f2-4576-b6b4-9719c4cc96c4.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/27/InterviewWithWhoDoYouThinkYouAreProducerDanBucatinsky.aspx
Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:06:45 GMTI had the chance recently to interview Dan Bucatinsky, coproducer (with Lisa Kudrow) of <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">TLC's
"Who Do You Think You Are?"</a>
<p>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/db%20bio%20photo.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<font size="2"><a href="http://www.isorisnt.com/db.html">Is or Isn't Entertainment</a></font>
<br>
</p>
<p>
We talked about why the show researches celebrities instead of average-Joe genealogists,
how casting and filming happen, and his wish list. My questions were inspired by comments
we've heard from many of you on social media, by my own impressions of the show, and
by the conversation.
<br>
<br>
You can <a href="http://media2.fwpublications.com.s3.amazonaws.com/FTM/bucatinsky-interview.mp3">listen
to the whole thing by clicking here</a>, and/or you can read the synopsis below. If
you listen, know a few things first:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
It's about a half hour, so get comfy.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
You can barely hear me ask my questions (stupid recording device) (it’s probably something
I did), but Bucatinsky comes through loud and clear, so I don't think that harms what
you can learn about the show. I hate my voice in recordings anyway.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
His kids run into the room about halfway through, which I thought was cute (much more
so than when my kids do this to me).<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
You can tell this was just after the Jesse Tyler Ferguson episode, because he talks
about the upcoming shows with the McAdamses, Valerie Bertinelli and Kelsey Grammer.
Yes, it took me awhile to get this together for you.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
If you can’t listen, or you just want to know what you’re in for, here’s the gist:
</p>
<p>
<b>Why profile just celebrities?</b>
<br>
The comment/question we at <i>Family Tree Magazine</i> most often hear about "Who
Do You Think You Are?" is "Why doesn't the show trace the roots of someone who isn't
famous?" ("Like me?" is usually implied.) So I asked.
</p>
<p>
Basically, the explanation is what I thought it would be: In order to stay on TV,
the show needs to attract a general audience—not just a genealogical one. To do that,
it needs the celebrity "hook."
</p>
<p>
While the show certainly is meant to inspire, Bucatinsky says, "There is a reality
about television ... in order to get the high volume of viewership on any network
or any website, you need to find a very, very high level of public interest, one that
crosses many circles of demographics."
</p>
<p>
"The casting process is extremely intense, and if we didn't have the well-known ‘tour
guides,’ we would have probably a very difficult time getting people to engage, even
though it doesn't mean the stories would be any less interesting. Even if you get
maybe 100,000 people who are interested in genealogy, which is a big number, it's
not a big number for television."
</p>
<p>
He said the producers’ ratings research bears out this statement: The higher the profile
of the celebrity featured, the higher the ratings numbers.
</p>
<p>
<b>How are the celebrities selected?</b>
<br>
Casting the celebrity guests can be surprisingly difficult. In the first couple of
years, Bucatinsky and Kudrow reached out to people they knew personally. Now that
word is out in celebrity circles, stars' representatives tell producers they're willing
to participate, and they go on a list.
</p>
<p>
"Any celebrity who has done the show has raved about their experience on it," Bucatinsky
says.
</p>
<p>
But that’s not all: Although it’s hard to tell when research begins where an ancestral
story will go, producers aim for variety. TLC gets a say, too. “One thing we do, when
we have control over it, is try to create as much diversity as possible,” Bucatinsky
says. “We'll try to see if the preliminary research makes the story feel like it will
be diverse. We get approval from the network ... [the talent] has to coincide with
what they know their viewership wants to see.”&nbsp;
</p>
<p>
The guest’s schedule also has to mesh with the show’s production schedule. “I can't
even imagine another show that's as complicated to produce. The Rubik's cube of getting
the talent approved, getting a story that actually feels like it's gonna break and
be interesting enough to shoot, and getting a celebrity's schedule to tie in with
our production schedule and the release dates is—I can't begin to tell you how complicated
it is.”
</p>
<p>
<b>How was the transition to TLC?</b>
<br>
I also asked Bucatinsky about the show’s move from NBC to TLC before last season,
and whether he feels it fits on a network that’s also home to shows like "Honey Boo
Boo." (No offense to "Honey Boo Boo" fans out there—it's just a different kind of
show from "Who Do You Think You Are?")
</p>
<p>
He thinks family history has a broad enough appeal that “Who Do You Think You Are?”
is interesting to a range of audiences. "We certainly had our trepidation about 'hmm,
I wonder if the audience for those shows is the same as our audience?' But there's
no question there's a very wide audience for ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’”&nbsp;
</p>
<p>
He added that TLC has been supportive of the show, and hasn’t asked for changes in
the formula.
</p>
<p>
<b>What’s the most popular kind of story?</b>
<br>
I’ve seen a lot of “types” of “Who Do You Think You Are?” episodes. Some focus on
one ancestor; some cover two or more. Some stay in the United States; some globe-trot.
I like stories that stick with one person, but others might think that slows the pace
too much. I wondered which approach is most popular with viewers.&nbsp;
</p>
<p>
All of the above, Bucatinsky says. It’s the emotional connection that matters. "I
feel like we've had really good success with stories where there's an emotional tie
to the protagonist. Christina Applegate's episode last season was quite popular. It
was partly because Christina herself has a wide audience, and partly because she was
making the journey for her father, who never really knew his mother. And to come to
so many amazing conclusions about his mother, and be able to bring her father to the
gravesite of his mother—it’s hugely cathartic stuff. "
</p>
<p>
“I love an episode that really is emotional and bring insight into somebody's grandparents,
who they remember as a kid but didn't know anything about," he adds. "And I also love
the stories that take you back and you don't even realize that you had relatives that
are part of the <i>Mayflower</i> or the Civil War or the Gold Rush—things you only
learn about in history books, and the context makes it much more relevant.”&nbsp;
</p>
<p>
“It's some combination of the popularity of the celebrity and the strength of the
story.” He also pointed out that how engaged the celebrity guest is plays a role.
</p>
<p>
<b>Are the celebrity guests coached to do or say certain things?</b>
<br>
Sometimes, I think, the celebrity seems to ask just the right question to segue into
the surprise discovery—almost as if the person was told what to say. That's not the
case, says Bucatinsky. "They may be prodded to find the information that we need them
to find. We know that they need to hit a page of a particular document that they're
wearing gloves to look at, so they will get guided to it, but the discovery itself
is always organic and authentic. There's very little coaching in the moment.”&nbsp;
</p>
<p>
The celebrity doesn’t know what he’ll find or where he’s going next, but the archivists
usually does. "Our archivist is someone who we've spoken to and found out information
from ... they're there ready to meet our celebrity, and when the celebrity arrives,
they will never have met before. ... Every bit of it that films our subject is filmed
originally and in the order of the journey. It's not rehearsed. It's a documentary."
</p>
<p>
<b>How long does it take to film an episode?</b>
<br>
“A whole journey would be anywhere between 8 and 23 days, but that includes travel
days,” Bucatinsky says. “We've had episodes that could probably have made really good
two-hour episodes. We try to do the best we can. If we think the season's going to
wind up on DVD, we'll put the scenes [there].”
</p>
<p>
Interestingly, an entire story line from Gwenyth Paltrow's episode didn't even make
it on the show.
</p>
<p>
<b>Who’s your dream guest? (and other things he’d love to do with the show)</b>
<br>
“I don't really focus on the person, I focus on plans and stories that we haven't
told before. I really want to tell a Latin American story.” (His family is from Argentina.)&nbsp;
</p>
<p>
“We haven't been to Asia, and it looks as though we're going to this season,” he added.
(Although the season finale is tonight, with Minnie Driver, and they stay in England.
Did I miss a trip to Asia?)
</p>
<p>
Although it seemed like he was going to evade the question, he later added, “If one
of the Obamas wanted to do it, that would be dreamy.”
</p>
<p>
I also asked about the possibility of a follow-up show that would tie up some of the
loose ends—such as what happened to the former spouses of Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s great-grandfather.
Bucatinsky mentioned the scheduling difficulties as an obstacle, but added, “What
I would want to try to do down the line is just start with one: One person who wants
to come back and revisit a story and see how it goes. There are other stories to be
explored, and it would be fun to have someone that people love come back.”
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://media2.fwpublications.com.s3.amazonaws.com/FTM/bucatinsky-interview.mp3">You
can listen to my interview with “Who Do You Think You Are?” co-producer Dan Bucantinsky
here</a>.&nbsp;
</p>
<p>
Want to hear more? Here are a couple of Bucatinsy's interviews with other bloggers:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://lisalouisecooke.com/premium-episode-113/">Lisa Louise Cooke (in a
free episode of her Genealogy Gems podcast)</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/interview-dan-bucatinsky-behindthescenes/">Thomas
MacEntee of Geneabloggers</a>
<br>
</li>
</ul>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=65aecc08-f4f2-4576-b6b4-9719c4cc96c4" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,65aecc08-f4f2-4576-b6b4-9719c4cc96c4.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsGenealogy TVhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=dbe33c5d-68c9-4691-a77c-f4cda3439a75http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dbe33c5d-68c9-4691-a77c-f4cda3439a75.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dbe33c5d-68c9-4691-a77c-f4cda3439a75.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=dbe33c5d-68c9-4691-a77c-f4cda3439a75
This week's season finale of TLC's
"Who Do You Think You Are?" features English actor Minnie Driver (fun fact—her
real name is Amelia Fiona).

If you're hoping for a look at 20th-century English research, you're in luck. Driver
will learn about her father's career in the Royal Air Force during World War II, of
which he hardly spoke. She researches back to his parents, and then forward to discover
a relative who becomes the first paternal relative she's ever met.

Among places viewers will visit are the Royal
Air Force Museum, Rockside Hall (once a Royal Air Force psychiatric hospital),
and several local libraries.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Finale: Minnie Driver Traces English Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dbe33c5d-68c9-4691-a77c-f4cda3439a75.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/25/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreSeasonFinaleMinnieDriverTracesEnglishRoots.aspx
Mon, 25 Aug 2014 20:45:35 GMT This week's season finale of <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">TLC's
"Who Do You Think You Are?"</a> features English actor Minnie Driver (fun fact—her
real name is Amelia Fiona).
<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/WDYTYA5_MD_07.jpg" border="0">
<br>
Photo: TLC<br>
<br>
Driver was on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007t575">British "Who
Do You Think You Are?"</a> (which inspired the US version); I imagine this is the
same show, perhaps re-edited. (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01dkn3n">You
can see a clip from the BBC show here</a>.)<br>
<br>
If you're hoping for a look at 20th-century English research, you're in luck. Driver
will learn about her father's career in the Royal Air Force during World War II, of
which he hardly spoke. She researches back to his parents, and then forward to discover
a relative who becomes the first paternal relative she's ever met.&nbsp;
<br>
<br>
Among places viewers will visit are the <a href="http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/">Royal
Air Force Museum</a>, Rockside Hall (once a Royal Air Force psychiatric hospital),
and several local libraries.
<br>
<br>
Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" at 9/8 Central on TLC. <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/rachel-mcadams.htm">Past
episodes are available on the TLC website</a>.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=dbe33c5d-68c9-4691-a77c-f4cda3439a75" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dbe33c5d-68c9-4691-a77c-f4cda3439a75.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=b0921493-eaa4-4073-b271-aa4d7b39cd23http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,b0921493-eaa4-4073-b271-aa4d7b39cd23.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,b0921493-eaa4-4073-b271-aa4d7b39cd23.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=b0921493-eaa4-4073-b271-aa4d7b39cd235
I mentioned in yesterday's
post that the pioneer era is one of my favorite eras of history to learn about.
Maybe it comes from my childhood love of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" book
series.

So I especially appreciated the second part of last night's "Who
Do You Think You Are?", when Kelsey Grammer drove to Baker
City in eastern Oregon to walk in ruts left by thousands of covered wagons crossing
the high desert on their way to Oregon's Willamette
Valley. It's fascinating to me that the ruts are still there.

Grammer's third-great-grandparents Joseph and Comfort Dimmick, along with their many
children and other relatives, followed the trail from their homes in the Midwest to
land near Salem, Oregon, that they received under the Donation
Land Claim Act of 1850.

Grammer read from a pioneer diary the Dimmicks' nephew kept during the journey. It
described how the oldest Dimmick son drank contaminated water from a creek and died
of cholera, one of the most common diseases trail migrants suffered. He was buried
alone along the trail.

There's no single comprehensive list of westward pioneers. WDYTYA historians were
tipped off to Grammer's pioneer ancestry because of the time period and birthplaces
in census records: A family that lived in Oregon before railways reached the area
had parents and older children born in the Midwest.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" With Kelsey Grammer: Genealogy Sources for Tracing Pioneer Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,b0921493-eaa4-4073-b271-aa4d7b39cd23.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/21/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreWithKelseyGrammerGenealogySourcesForTracingPioneerRoots.aspx
Thu, 21 Aug 2014 14:23:35 GMTI mentioned in <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/19/KelseyGrammerDiscoversPioneerRootsThisWeekOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAre.aspx">yesterday's
post</a> that the pioneer era is one of my favorite eras of history to learn about.
Maybe it comes from my childhood love of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" book
series.<br>
<br>
So I especially appreciated the second part of last night's "<a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/7-tips-for-researching-pioneer-heritage-digital-download-u9644">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>", when Kelsey Grammer drove to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_City,_Oregon">Baker
City</a> in eastern Oregon to walk in ruts left by thousands of covered wagons crossing
the high desert on their way to Oregon's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willamette_Valley">Willamette
Valley</a>. It's fascinating to me that the ruts are still there.<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/WDYTYA5_KG_08.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Grammer's third-great-grandparents Joseph and Comfort Dimmick, along with their many
children and other relatives, followed the trail from their homes in the Midwest to
land near Salem, Oregon, that they received under the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation_Land_Claim_Act">Donation
Land Claim Act of 1850</a>.
<br>
<br>
Grammer read from a pioneer diary the Dimmicks' nephew kept during the journey. It
described how the oldest Dimmick son drank contaminated water from a creek and died
of cholera, one of the most common diseases trail migrants suffered. He was buried
alone along the trail.<br>
<br>
There's no single comprehensive list of westward pioneers. WDYTYA historians were
tipped off to Grammer's pioneer ancestry because of the time period and birthplaces
in census records: A family that lived in Oregon before railways reached the area
had parents and older children born in the Midwest.
<br>
<br>
Do you have pioneer roots? Here are some resources for tracing them, from <i>Family
Tree Magazine</i>'s guide <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/7-tips-for-researching-pioneer-heritage-digital-download-u9644/?lid=DHftbl082114u9644">7
Tips for Researching Pioneer Heritage</a>:<br>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<ul>
<li>
The <a href="http://www.paper-trail.org/">Oregon-California Trails Association Paper
Trail site</a> indexes names from more than 3,500 documents about the Oregon and California
Trails. Search for a name for free; subscribe for access to more information.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Brigham Young University's free <a href="http://overlandtrails.lib.byu.edu/">Trails
of Hope: Overland Diaries and Letters, 1846–1869</a>, is a searchable collection of
writings of 49 voyagers on the Mormon, California, Oregon, and Montana trails.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
The Oregon State Archives also has a searchable <a href="http://sos.oregon.gov/archives/Pages/db-early-oregonians.aspx" class="vt-p">Early
Oregonians Database</a> of pre-1860 residents, with names from census, death, probate
and other records. (I searched for Joseph Dimmick, and <a href="https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/personprofile.do?recordNumber=20455">one
of the results showed Joseph and Comfort's son Joseph, born in Ohio</a>, which also
was Comfort's birthplace. WDYTYA? didn't touch on their pre-migration lives, but there's
a Dimmick road north of Cincinnati. Now I'm curious.)<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Newspapers can be good sources of news on who was headed West, and how local emigrants
fared along the trail.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Many states and counties have lineage societies that family historians can join if
they prove descent from settlers before a certain year, and you often can request
a search of member applications.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
The free <a href="http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/">Bureau of Land Management's General
Land Office record search</a> lets you search federal land patents for public land
states—like the Dimmicks, many pioneers traveled West for land.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Trail diaries may be in libraries or private collections. The searches at <a href="http://worldcat.org">WorldCat</a> and <a href="http://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/">ArchiveGrid</a> can
help you find them.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Search for Mormon pioneers in the <a href="http://earlylds.com/">Early Latter-day
Saint Database</a>.</li>
</ul>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
You'll find help using these and other pioneer research resources in our downloadable <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/7-tips-for-researching-pioneer-heritage-digital-download-u9644/?lid=DHftbl082114u9644">7
Tips for Researching Pioneer Heritage</a>, available in ShopFamilyTree.com.<br>
<br>
You can <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/7-tips-for-researching-pioneer-heritage-digital-download-u9644">watch
the full episode on the "Who Do You Think You Are?" website</a>.<br>
<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=b0921493-eaa4-4073-b271-aa4d7b39cd23" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,b0921493-eaa4-4073-b271-aa4d7b39cd23.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsResearch Tipshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=c4c88d2f-911c-46e3-8447-361de3ae04d1http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,c4c88d2f-911c-46e3-8447-361de3ae04d1.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,c4c88d2f-911c-46e3-8447-361de3ae04d1.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=c4c88d2f-911c-46e3-8447-361de3ae04d1
Tomorrow on "Who
Do You Think You Are?" Kelsey Grammer, Frazier Crane from "Cheers" and "Frazier,"
learns about the early life of the grandmother who raised him. One of the mysteries
that'll be revealed on the show is why his grandmother wasn't raised by her parents,
either.

Grammer also discovers that his third-great-grandparents traveled the Oregon Trail
with their 12 children. The pioneer era is one of my favorite periods of history to
read about, so I'm especially looking forward to that part of the episode. (And 12
children? Could you imagine? Just driving a few hours with my two kids in the car
is enough to make me swear off road trips.)

Plus, the show stops in Portland, Ore., where I used to live, and the Genealogical
Forum of Oregon, where I've visited. I enjoy seeing places I recognize.

Kelsey Grammer Discovers Pioneer Roots This Week on "Who Do You Think You Are?"http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,c4c88d2f-911c-46e3-8447-361de3ae04d1.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/19/KelseyGrammerDiscoversPioneerRootsThisWeekOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAre.aspx
Tue, 19 Aug 2014 19:33:05 GMTTomorrow on "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who Do
You Think You Are?</a>" Kelsey Grammer, Frazier Crane from "Cheers" and "Frazier,"
learns about the early life of the grandmother who raised him. One of the mysteries
that'll be revealed on the show is why his grandmother wasn't raised by her parents,
either.
<br>
<br>
Grammer also discovers that his third-great-grandparents traveled the Oregon Trail
with their 12 children. The pioneer era is one of my favorite periods of history to
read about, so I'm especially looking forward to that part of the episode. (And 12
children? Could you imagine? Just driving a few hours with my two kids in the car
is enough to make me swear off road trips.)
<br>
<br>
Plus, the show stops in Portland, Ore., where I used to live, and the <a href="http://www.gfo.org/">Genealogical
Forum of Oregon</a>, where I've visited. I enjoy seeing places I recognize.<br>
<br>
Here's a preview clip for you:<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/880243/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" width="640">
</iframe>
<br>
<br>
"Who Do You Think You Are?" airs Wednesdays at 9/8 Central on TLC. And now you can <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">watch
full episodes of this season on the "Who Do You Think You Are?" website</a>.<br>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=c4c88d2f-911c-46e3-8447-361de3ae04d1" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,c4c88d2f-911c-46e3-8447-361de3ae04d1.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=5c323611-350e-49d4-b881-ad8cb754ec5ahttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,5c323611-350e-49d4-b881-ad8cb754ec5a.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,5c323611-350e-49d4-b881-ad8cb754ec5a.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=5c323611-350e-49d4-b881-ad8cb754ec5a1

In last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" actor Valerie Bertinelli travels to Italy
and learns her great-grandmother immigrated with two small children after her husband
died—an unusual action for a woman at the time.

Then, seeking equally enlightening stories to share with her mom, she visits England
and is presented with a family tree showing a long line of Claypooles.

At the beginning, Bertinelli says her son wants to know if the family has a crest—so
you just knew the answer would be yes. And it was: At the College
of Arms in London, she learns that her eighth-great-grandfather, who was born
a yeoman and improved his family's circumstances, received a coat of arms.

Bertinelli also learned that her 19th-great-grandfather is King
Edward I aka "Edward Longshanks" of England, who reigned form 1272 to 1307.

Coats of arms can be a sensitive subject in genealogy circles, surrounded by myths
that help to propel the sale of fake family crest products. Pity the unsuspecting
person who boasts about his family crest within earshot of a genealogist. Why?

Being of the same surname as someone who has a coat of arms—or even being a bona-fide
member of the person's family—doesn't necessarily mean that you also have a coat of
arms. There are a few little-known rules to go along with heraldry:

Anyone whose uninterrupted male-line immigrant ancestor was entitled to use a coat
of arms, also has the right to use this same coat of arms. If the uninterrupted male-line
immigrant ancestor has no such right, then neither does the descendant. (Bertinelli
described the "Claypool Coat of Arms" to her mom, so it sounds like she knew this
rule.)

what genealogical records exist for Italian ancestors, where to find them, and the
best resources to investigate your Italian ancestry.

You also can read Melanie's Italian research guide in the forthcoming October/November
2014 Family Tree Magazine.
In the mean time, here's a head
start for finding relatives' Italian military records."Who Do You Think You Are?": Valerie Bertinelli Discovers a Coat of Arms, Explores Italian Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,5c323611-350e-49d4-b881-ad8cb754ec5a.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/14/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreValerieBertinelliDiscoversACoatOfArmsExploresItalianRoots.aspx
Thu, 14 Aug 2014 18:07:18 GMT <img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/WDYTYA5_VB_25.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
In last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" actor Valerie Bertinelli travels to Italy
and learns her great-grandmother immigrated with two small children after her husband
died—an unusual action for a woman at the time.
<br>
<br>
Then, seeking equally enlightening stories to share with her mom, she visits England
and is presented with a family tree showing a long line of Claypooles.<br>
<br>
At the beginning, Bertinelli says her son wants to know if the family has a crest—so
you just knew the answer would be yes. And it was: At the <a href="http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/">College
of Arms</a> in London, she learns that her eighth-great-grandfather, who was born
a yeoman and improved his family's circumstances, received a coat of arms.
<br>
<br>
Bertinelli also learned that her 19th-great-grandfather is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_I_of_England">King
Edward I</a> aka "Edward Longshanks" of England, who reigned form 1272 to 1307.
<br>
<br>
Coats of arms can be a sensitive subject in genealogy circles, surrounded by myths
that help to propel the sale of fake family crest products. Pity the unsuspecting
person who boasts about his family crest within earshot of a genealogist. Why?
<br>
<br>
Being of the same surname as someone who has a coat of arms—or even being a bona-fide
member of the person's family—doesn't necessarily mean that you also have a coat of
arms. There are a few little-known rules to go along with heraldry:<br>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<ul>
<li>
Coats of arms aren't granted to families. Instead, they're granted to individuals.
Arms can, however, be inherited.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<ul>
<li>
Anyone whose uninterrupted male-line immigrant ancestor was entitled to use a coat
of arms, also has the right to use this same coat of arms. If the uninterrupted male-line
immigrant ancestor has no such right, then neither does the descendant. (Bertinelli
described the "Claypool Coat of Arms" to her mom, so it sounds like she knew this
rule.)<br>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
As an exception, US citizens can obtain a grant or confirmation of their arms—from
the College of Arms or other appropriate national heraldic authority in other countries—by
payment of required fees. (<a href="http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/treeview/links.htm">The
Heraldry Society has links to various countries' heraldry organizations</a>.)
<br>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
What an impressive pedigree to take home to Mom!<br>
<br>
Going back to the Italian side of things: I can't let you go without letting you know
about our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/best-resources-trace-italian-roots-digital-download-u6137/?lid=DHftbl081414u6137">Best
Resources for Tracing Your Italian Roots video class</a> with <a href="http://www.holtzresearch.com/">Melanie
D. Holtz</a>. You'll learn
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
what genealogical records exist for Italian ancestors, where to find them, and the
best resources to investigate your Italian ancestry.
<br>
<br>
You also can read Melanie's Italian research guide in the forthcoming October/November
2014 <a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com"><i>Family Tree Magazine</i></a>.
In the mean time, here's a <a href="http://familytreemagazine.com/article/Italian-Military-Records">head
start for finding relatives' Italian military records</a>.<br>
>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=5c323611-350e-49d4-b881-ad8cb754ec5a" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,5c323611-350e-49d4-b881-ad8cb754ec5a.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=dd729605-a918-4aa3-87bd-ea80a2a131f5http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dd729605-a918-4aa3-87bd-ea80a2a131f5.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dd729605-a918-4aa3-87bd-ea80a2a131f5.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=dd729605-a918-4aa3-87bd-ea80a2a131f5

Kids getting ready to go back to school also means the Federation
of Genealogical Societies (FGS) annual conference is nearly here. The 2014 genealogy
confab is Aug. 27-30 in San Antonio, Texas, and Family Tree Magazine will be
there in booth 2019 with free issues plus books, CDs, cheat sheets and subscriptions
for sale. I hope to see you there!

Genealogy News Corral:August 4-8http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dd729605-a918-4aa3-87bd-ea80a2a131f5.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/08/GenealogyNewsCorralAugust48.aspx
Fri, 08 Aug 2014 14:48:42 GMT<div align="left">
<ul>
<li>
Kids getting ready to go back to school also means the <a href="https://www.fgsconference.org/">Federation
of Genealogical Societies (FGS) annual conference</a> is nearly here. The 2014 genealogy
confab is Aug. 27-30 in San Antonio, Texas, and <i>Family Tree Magazine</i> will be
there in booth 2019 with free issues plus books, CDs, cheat sheets and subscriptions
for sale. I hope to see you there!</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul>
<li>
AncestryDNA has a new feature that lets you share your DNA results with others by
inviting the person using their email address or their Ancestry member name. It works
similarly to how you share a family tree on Ancestry. <a href="http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/08/06/ancestrydna-you-can-now-share-your-dna-results/">Get
more specifics and screenshots on Ancestry.com's blog post</a>.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarestory.com">Who Do You Think You Are? Story</a>,
a site from findmypast and the producers of the British "Who Do You Think You Are?"
TV show, is <a href="http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarestory.com">now available in beta</a>.
Once you register, you can enter family information and upload photos, and the free
site will present your family history—along with historical background—in a slideshow. <a href="http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarestory.com/#examples">You
can view sample stories on the site</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=dd729605-a918-4aa3-87bd-ea80a2a131f5" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dd729605-a918-4aa3-87bd-ea80a2a131f5.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Ancestry.comGenealogy EventsGenealogy societiesGenealogy Web SitesGenetic Genealogyhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=a3710a8d-4ad5-49ac-928a-249d58fe9b93http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a3710a8d-4ad5-49ac-928a-249d58fe9b93.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a3710a8d-4ad5-49ac-928a-249d58fe9b93.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=a3710a8d-4ad5-49ac-928a-249d58fe9b93

Last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" followed sisters Rachel and Kayleen McAdams
(respectively, an actor and makeup artist to the stars) to England and then to Canada
as they learned the stories of ancestors on their mother's side of the family.

A few of the things that hit home in this episode:

As one with two sisters close to my age, I liked that aspect of this episode. And
many genealogists would give up their Ancestry.com subscriptions for a sibling, or
a cousin, or anyone, to share their intense interest in family history.

The sisters initially disagreed on their English great-grandfather's job in the Royal
service: pilot or mechanic? (They learned that "mechanic" is the more accurate description.)
This shows how everybody remembers things a little differently, so it's helpful to
interview multiple relatives—even those from the same generation—about your family
history.

The sisters traveled to two places where their ancestors lived: The upper-class home
in England where their third-great-grandfather (I think—sometimes I lose track of
the greats) William Gale served as footman (the top male servant in the household),
and the site of the refugee
camp in Quebec where their fifth-great-grandmother was quartered, along with other
British Loyalists who'd fled the United States, during the American Revolution.

Awhile back, I had the chance to interview Ian Frazier, the author of Family,
one of my favorite books. He talked about how, when you're trying to understand your
ancestors' experiences, it's important to get as close as possible to the places where
they lived. You can't always visit your ancestral hometown, but you can read about
it, find newspaper and other accounts from the time, look at old photos and maps,
and talk to experts on the area's history. (Sunny Morton wrote a great guide
to "visiting" ancestral locales without leaving home in the August 2010 Family
Tree Magazine.)

"Who Do You Think You Are?": The McAdams Sisters Trace Roots in England and Canadahttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a3710a8d-4ad5-49ac-928a-249d58fe9b93.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/07/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreTheMcAdamsSistersTraceRootsInEnglandAndCanada.aspx
Thu, 07 Aug 2014 14:57:16 GMT <img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/WDYTYA5_RM_10.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" followed sisters Rachel and Kayleen McAdams
(respectively, an actor and makeup artist to the stars) to England and then to Canada
as they learned the stories of ancestors on their mother's side of the family.
<br>
<br>
A few of the things that hit home in this episode:<br>
<ul>
<li>
As one with two sisters close to my age, I liked that aspect of this episode. And
many genealogists would give up their Ancestry.com subscriptions for a sibling, or
a cousin, or anyone, to share their intense interest in family history.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
The sisters initially disagreed on their English great-grandfather's job in the Royal
service: pilot or mechanic? (They learned that "mechanic" is the more accurate description.)
This shows how everybody remembers things a little differently, so it's helpful to
interview multiple relatives—even those from the same generation—about your family
history.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
The sisters traveled to two places where their ancestors lived: The upper-class home
in England where their third-great-grandfather (I think—sometimes I lose track of
the greats) William Gale served as footman (the top male servant in the household),
and the site of the <a href="http://www.uelac.org/SirJohnJohnson/eastern-townships.php">refugee
camp in Quebec</a> where their fifth-great-grandmother was quartered, along with other
British Loyalists who'd fled the United States, during the American Revolution.
<br>
<br>
Awhile back, I had the chance to interview Ian Frazier, the author of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/257373.Family"><i>Family</i></a>,
one of my favorite books. He talked about how, when you're trying to understand your
ancestors' experiences, it's important to get as close as possible to the places where
they lived. You can't always visit your ancestral hometown, but you can read about
it, find newspaper and other accounts from the time, look at old photos and maps,
and talk to experts on the area's history. (Sunny Morton wrote a great <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/family-tree-magazine-august-2010-print/?lid=DHftbl080714FM0810">guide
to "visiting" ancestral locales without leaving home in the August 2010 <i>Family
Tree Magazine</i></a>.)
</li>
</ul>
Around 8,000 loyalists from the American colonies relocated to Canada after the war.
If you're researching one of these Loyalists, <a href="http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/access/documents/research_guide_227_united_empire_loyalists.pdf">you
can find the Archives of Ontario's United Empire Loyalist research guide here</a>.
<br>
<br>
There's also a <a href="http://www.uelac.org/">United Empire Loyalists Association
of Canada</a>, as well as a <a href="http://blackloyalist.com/">Black Loyalist Heritage
Society</a> dedicated to the African-American Loyalists who settled in Nova Scotia
in the 1780s.<br>
<br>
And if you're tracing British roots, you might be able to use our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/guide-to-english-and-welsh-civil-registrations-digital-download-u9182/?lid=DHftbl080714u9182">roundup
of online resources for&nbsp; English and Welsh civil registrations</a>, like the
marriage record the McAdamses viewed at the Plymouth Central Library in England.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=a3710a8d-4ad5-49ac-928a-249d58fe9b93" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a3710a8d-4ad5-49ac-928a-249d58fe9b93.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=dd3f36ed-8eaf-45ba-9923-6ef3f2b62035http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dd3f36ed-8eaf-45ba-9923-6ef3f2b62035.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dd3f36ed-8eaf-45ba-9923-6ef3f2b62035.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=dd3f36ed-8eaf-45ba-9923-6ef3f2b62035
On tomorrow night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" sisters Rachel and Kayleen McAdams
search together for their family history.

They explore their maternal roots, about which their mother knows little. They follow
ancestors on both their grandfather's and grandmother's sides, a departure from the
first two episodes focusing on one ancestor's story. They'll also delve into Canadian
research, with visits to archives in Quebec, Ottawa and Ontario.

In this preview, the McAdams sisters meet in Ottawa with genealogist Joseph Schumway,
who's put together a tree showing their mother's maternal family line in Canada.

You can watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 9/8 Central on TLC.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Preview: Rachel and Kayleen McAdamshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dd3f36ed-8eaf-45ba-9923-6ef3f2b62035.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/05/WhoDoYouThinkYouArePreviewRachelAndKayleenMcAdams.aspx
Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:11:09 GMT On tomorrow night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" sisters Rachel and Kayleen McAdams search together for their family history. <br>
<br>
They explore their maternal roots, about which their mother knows little. They follow
ancestors on both their grandfather's and grandmother's sides, a departure from the
first two episodes focusing on one ancestor's story. They'll also delve into Canadian
research, with visits to archives in Quebec, Ottawa and Ontario.<br>
<br>
In this preview, the McAdams sisters meet in Ottawa with genealogist Joseph Schumway,
who's put together a tree showing their mother's maternal family line in Canada.
<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/879468/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" width="560">
</iframe>
<br>
<br>
You can watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 9/8 Central on TLC.<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=dd3f36ed-8eaf-45ba-9923-6ef3f2b62035" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dd3f36ed-8eaf-45ba-9923-6ef3f2b62035.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=d036adc8-2d77-44f9-b34e-d60001683493http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,d036adc8-2d77-44f9-b34e-d60001683493.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,d036adc8-2d77-44f9-b34e-d60001683493.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=d036adc8-2d77-44f9-b34e-d60001683493

Official software support will end at the end of this year; sales will continue through
September. The user-to-user support forum and mailing list will still be available.

Genealogy News Corral: July 28-August 1http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,d036adc8-2d77-44f9-b34e-d60001683493.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/08/01/GenealogyNewsCorralJuly28August1.aspx
Fri, 01 Aug 2014 16:09:13 GMT <ul>
<li>
Want to turn your kids or grandkids (or nieces, nephews and next-door neighbors) into
family history detectives? <i>Family Tree Magazine</i>'s own Allison Dolan gives tips
for doing just that in <a href="http://makeitbetter.net/family/family-life/6258-summer-project-turn-your-kids-into-family-history-detectives">the
MakeItBetter.net article "Summer Project: Turn Your Kids into Family History Detectives</a>."
The article also explains how knowing family stories—especially those about hard times
overcome—contributes to a child's resilience.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
Ancestry.com is holding a <a href="http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/07/30/be-the-star-of-your-own-who-do-you-think-you-are-show">sweepstakes</a> to
give someone the "Who Do You Think You Are?" treatment, with a prize including a trip
to your ancestral homeland, access to a personal historian, and spending money. <a href="http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/07/30/be-the-star-of-your-own-who-do-you-think-you-are-show">Get
contest details on the Ancestry.com blog</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.whollygenes.com/">Wholly Genes</a> software owner Bob Velke has
announced that <a href="http://www.whollygenes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?screen=TMG">The
Master Genealogist software</a> will be discontinued. In <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs140/1105531002059/archive/1118052201942.html">the
company's July 29 newsletter</a>, he stated that the market for the software's advanced
features is insufficient to support the infrastructure necessary to continue developing
the software. He added that health issues are a contributing factor.
<br>
<br>
Official software support will end at the end of this year; sales will continue through
September. The user-to-user support forum and mailing list will still be available.</li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=d036adc8-2d77-44f9-b34e-d60001683493" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,d036adc8-2d77-44f9-b34e-d60001683493.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Ancestry.comGenealogy for kidsGenealogy Softwarehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=dfde128f-bb6b-4650-b61c-dc6ca3a9a194http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dfde128f-bb6b-4650-b61c-dc6ca3a9a194.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dfde128f-bb6b-4650-b61c-dc6ca3a9a194.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=dfde128f-bb6b-4650-b61c-dc6ca3a9a1942

In last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" Jesse
Tyler Ferguson's great-grandfather Jess Uppercue—the father of Ferguson's paternal
grandmother, Jessie, with whom he was close—seemed to get into trouble wherever he
went.

It started when he was arrested for the murder of an aunt he lived with at age 22.
Although he had motive (he stood to gain a tidy sum when she died, having just insisted
upon the rewriting of her will), the evidence was circumstantial. The first trial
ended in a hung jury; the second, in acquittal.

Uppercue later turns up in Evanston, Ill.; Fargo, ND; St. Louis; and Philadelphia,
each time being prosecuted for some money-related charge and managing to evade punishment.

Then, as the promoter for an expedition to the Alaskan Klondike in 1898, he brought
so many participants and provisions, and so much mining machinery, that the group
couldn't use the rugged trail. The expedition's secretary wrote letters to his hometown
paper describing the terrible conditions, one man's death, and the early departure
of nearly half the group, including Uppercue.

He again managed to bounce back, named in newspapers as a speaker at political events,
and married his third wife, Ferguson's great-grandmother, who was some 30 years younger
than he. The couple later divorced and their daughters stayed with their father.

Ferguson worked pretty hard there at the end to see his great-grandfather in a positive
light, as someone who survived multiple setbacks and "stepped up" to care for his
girls. But from what I saw as a viewer—which admittedly probably isn't as full a picture
as Ferguson got—Uppercue just wasn't a good guy.

I do think it's natural to want to believe the best about your own family, especially
when your closest link to that person was someone you respected as much as Ferguson
did his grandmother.

As you could see in this episode (and as
I've found in my own research), newspapers are a good source for tracing ne'er-do-well
ancestors. Old newspaper resources include:

newspaper services your local library may offer its patrons (ask at the reference
desk or check the website)

Real genealogy gems may still be hidden in not-yet-digitized papers. You can search
the Chronicling America
newspaper directory to find titles of papers published in your ancestor's hometown
when he lived there. The directory also tells you the names of libraries and archives
that hold the paper on microfilm, microfiche or paper.

A few resources from ShopFamilyTree.com to help you do genealogy research in newspapers:

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Black Sheep Ancestor + Old Newspaper Research Tipshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,dfde128f-bb6b-4650-b61c-dc6ca3a9a194.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/07/31/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreJesseTylerFergusonsBlackSheepAncestorOldNewspaperResearchTips.aspx
Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:35:44 GMT <img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/ferguson.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
In last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0272479/">Jesse
Tyler Ferguson</a>'s great-grandfather Jess Uppercue—the father of Ferguson's paternal
grandmother, Jessie, with whom he was close—seemed to get into trouble wherever he
went.
<br>
<br>
It started when he was arrested for the murder of an aunt he lived with at age 22.
Although he had motive (he stood to gain a tidy sum when she died, having just insisted
upon the rewriting of her will), the evidence was circumstantial. The first trial
ended in a hung jury; the second, in acquittal.<br>
<br>
Uppercue later turns up in Evanston, Ill.; Fargo, ND; St. Louis; and Philadelphia,
each time being prosecuted for some money-related charge and managing to evade punishment.
<br>
<br>
Then, as the promoter for an expedition to the Alaskan Klondike in 1898, he brought
so many participants and provisions, and so much mining machinery, that the group
couldn't use the rugged trail. The expedition's secretary wrote letters to his hometown
paper describing the terrible conditions, one man's death, and the early departure
of nearly half the group, including Uppercue.<br>
<br>
He again managed to bounce back, named in newspapers as a speaker at political events,
and married his third wife, Ferguson's great-grandmother, who was some 30 years younger
than he. The couple later divorced and their daughters stayed with their father.<br>
<br>
Ferguson worked pretty hard there at the end to see his great-grandfather in a positive
light, as someone who survived multiple setbacks and "stepped up" to care for his
girls. But from what I saw as a viewer—which admittedly probably isn't as full a picture
as Ferguson got—Uppercue just wasn't a good guy.
<br>
<br>
I do think it's natural to want to believe the best about your own family, especially
when your closest link to that person was someone you respected as much as Ferguson
did his grandmother.
<br>
<br>
As you could see in this episode (and <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2009/09/05/SearchingMicrofilmedNewspapers.aspx">as
I've found in my own research</a>), newspapers are a good source for tracing ne'er-do-well
ancestors. Old newspaper resources include:
<br>
<ul>
<li>
subscription site <a href="http://newspapers.com">Newspapers.com</a> , which was used
on last night's episode (it's owned by "WDYTYA?" sponsor <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-3910067-11745137?url=http://www.ancestry.com">Ancestry.com</a>)
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
subscription site <a href="http://genealogybank.com">GenealogyBank<br>
<br>
</a>
</li>
<li>
the free <a href="http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/">Chronicling America</a>, from
the Library of Congress
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
newspaper services your local library may offer its patrons (ask at the reference
desk or check the website)<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Real genealogy gems may still be hidden in not-yet-digitized papers. You can search
the <a href="http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/">Chronicling America
newspaper directory</a> to find titles of papers published in your ancestor's hometown
when he lived there. The directory also tells you the names of libraries and archives
that hold the paper on microfilm, microfiche or paper.
</li>
</ul>
A few resources from ShopFamilyTree.com to help you do genealogy research in newspapers:<br>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/digw-three-cool-tools-video-class/?lid=DHftbl073114u1097">Three
Cool Tools for Finding Your Family History in Newspapers</a> video class<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/online-newspapers-web-guide/?lid=DHftbl073114t4075">Online
Newspapers Web Guide<br>
<br>
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/tutorial-search-newspapers-on-genealogy-bank-pdf/?lid=DHftbl073114t2474">GenealogyBank
tutorial</a>
</li>
</ul>
If you're dying to watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" but your Wednesdays are busy
or you don't have TLC, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/SWq7zYaxzZM78">you
can purchase full episodes for $1.99 each or buy the whole season for $12.99 on the
show's YouTube channel</a>.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=dfde128f-bb6b-4650-b61c-dc6ca3a9a194" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,dfde128f-bb6b-4650-b61c-dc6ca3a9a194.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsNewspapersResearch Tipshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=7bc7a677-54db-45b2-bf83-06bd6ce00798http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,7bc7a677-54db-45b2-bf83-06bd6ce00798.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,7bc7a677-54db-45b2-bf83-06bd6ce00798.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=7bc7a677-54db-45b2-bf83-06bd6ce00798
Tonight's "Who Do You
Think You Are?" (9/8 Central on TLC) focuses on the ancestors of "Modern
Family" actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Especially if you have pioneer roots, this show might be of interest to you: Jesse
follows his great-grandfather's 1898 expedition to the Alaskan Klondike, a difficult
journey by boat and pack horse that resulted in the deaths of several men. The
Klondike saw a gold rush from 1896 to 1899, drawing not only gold seekers, but
also businessmen seeking to supply the prospectors.

Like last week's episode with Cynthia Nixon, we'll also learn about a shocking crime
in Ferguson's family history. (Scandal seems to be common fodder for "Who Do You Think
You Are?")

In this preview, Jesse Tyler Ferguson stands among snowcapped mountains reading what
looks like a transcription of a trail diary from his great-grandfather's journey.

You can watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" with Jesse Tyler Ferguson tonight (Wednesday,
July 30) at 9/8 Central on TLC.

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Jesse Tyler Ferguson Traces His Pioneer Ancestor's Expedition to Alaskahttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,7bc7a677-54db-45b2-bf83-06bd6ce00798.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/07/30/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreJesseTylerFergusonTracesHisPioneerAncestorsExpeditionToAlaska.aspx
Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:45:54 GMT Tonight's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who Do
You Think You Are?</a>" (9/8 Central on TLC) focuses on the ancestors of "<a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family">Modern
Family</a>" actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
<br>
<br>
Especially if you have pioneer roots, this show might be of interest to you: Jesse
follows his great-grandfather's 1898 expedition to the Alaskan Klondike, a difficult
journey by boat and pack horse that resulted in the deaths of several men. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush">The
Klondike saw a gold rush from 1896 to 1899</a>, drawing not only gold seekers, but
also businessmen seeking to supply the prospectors.<br>
<br>
Like last week's episode with Cynthia Nixon, we'll also learn about a shocking crime
in Ferguson's family history. (Scandal seems to be common fodder for "Who Do You Think
You Are?")<br>
<br>
In this preview, Jesse Tyler Ferguson stands among snowcapped mountains reading what
looks like a transcription of a trail diary from his great-grandfather's journey.<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/879093/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" width="560">
</iframe>
<br>
<br>
You can watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" with Jesse Tyler Ferguson tonight (Wednesday,
July 30) at 9/8 Central on TLC.<br>
<br>
If you're tracing pioneer ancestors, <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/7-tips-for-researching-pioneer-heritage-digital-download-u9644/?lid=Dhftbl073014u9644">download
our guide with seven genealogy research strategies to discover pioneer roots from
ShopFamilyTree.com</a>.<br>
<br>
Read <a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/437535/news/star-ferguson-featured-on-genealogy-show.html">Tyler's
comments about appearing in the episode in the Tyler's hometown <i>Albuquerque</i> <i>Journal</i> newspaper</a> (I
had to answer a survey question before I could see the article).<br>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=7bc7a677-54db-45b2-bf83-06bd6ce00798" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,7bc7a677-54db-45b2-bf83-06bd6ce00798.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=a1f2cbc4-8b4a-4b7c-9268-50098ff6622chttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a1f2cbc4-8b4a-4b7c-9268-50098ff6622c.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a1f2cbc4-8b4a-4b7c-9268-50098ff6622c.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=a1f2cbc4-8b4a-4b7c-9268-50098ff6622c5

Who watched the season premiere of "Who Do You Think You Are?" last night? (Warning:
Spoilers ahead!)

The show followed Cynthia Nixon's search along her paternal line and this discovery:
Her third-great-grandmother Martha Curnutt killed her abusive husband in 1843. Only
the second woman held in the Missouri state penitentiary in Jefferson City, Martha
gave birth in prison more than a year after entering, suggesting she was raped. The
prison's mistreatment of Martha and her baby inspired a long list of people, including
prominent local politicians, to petition for her pardon. It was granted two years
into her sentence.

As is typical for celebrity guests on "Who Do You Think You Are?" Nixon crisscrossed
the country to visit archives, and benefited from the extensive legwork and expertise
of researchers. Yes, it would be great if we all could get these perks! But the rare,
priceless publicity the featured archives and researchers receive is good for those
archives and people, which is good for all of us genealogists.

It takes a little longer to do this type of research on your own, but it is possible.
Here are a few of the genealogy takeaways I picked up from the show:

Use a variety of genealogical records together: Researchers started with censuses
and moved back and forth between death certificates, marriage records, military pensions,
court records, county and local histories, newspapers and pardon records.

Look to military records in the mid-1800s: When Nixon wonders why Martha appears
in the 1850 census husbandless and with three children who have her maiden name, a New
York state archives researcher says he always considers military records during
this time period.

Martha’s son Noah (who isn't in Nixon's direct line—cluster research at work!) was
the right age to serve in the Civil War, and a pension
record based on his service could be rich in family details. A Civil
War pension index on Ancestry.com lists a pension Martha filed as a parent dependent
upon her son's support. Civil War pensions aren’t microfilmed or digitized (except
for a small number
on Fold3.com), so Nixon went to the National
Archives in Washington, DC, to get the record. (The rest of us might hire an on-site
researcher or order
copies for $80.) Sure enough, she learns that Noah died in the war, and his father
died in 1842.

Use local histories and contemporary accounts: Local history books and newspapers
provided several clues. A county history said Martha had killed her husband, and a
newspaper article described the circumstances of the husband's "unnatural" treatment
of her and his statement one morning that she'd be dead by sunset. A book by another
prisoner at that time describes Martha's experience.

Ask for help: You don't have to be a celebrity or a film crew to get expert
advice from librarians and archivists. They probably won't do extensive research for
you, but if you succinctly explain your problem, they can direct you to resources
and get you started using them.

What did you think of this episode? Did you pick up any genealogy research tips? You'll
find a ton of help getting your genealogy research started in our new summer
2014 Discover Your Roots guide—learn more about it in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Genealogy Tips From the “Who Do You Think You Are?” Premiere With Cynthia Nixonhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a1f2cbc4-8b4a-4b7c-9268-50098ff6622c.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/07/24/GenealogyTipsFromTheWhoDoYouThinkYouArePremiereWithCynthiaNixon.aspx
Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:09:38 GMT<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/wdytya-nixon.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Who watched the season premiere of "Who Do You Think You Are?" last night? (Warning:
Spoilers ahead!)<br>
<br>
The show followed Cynthia Nixon's search along her paternal line and this discovery:
Her third-great-grandmother Martha Curnutt killed her abusive husband in 1843. Only
the second woman held in the Missouri state penitentiary in Jefferson City, Martha
gave birth in prison more than a year after entering, suggesting she was raped. The
prison's mistreatment of Martha and her baby inspired a long list of people, including
prominent local politicians, to petition for her pardon. It was granted two years
into her sentence.<br>
<br>
You can see part of <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/cynthia-nixon-visits-an-old-grim-prison.htm">Cynthia
Nixon's visit to the old prison on the site of the building where Martha was held
in this clip</a>. Check back on <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">the
"Who Do You Think You Are?" website</a> for the full episode.<br>
<br>
As is typical for celebrity guests on "Who Do You Think You Are?" Nixon crisscrossed
the country to visit archives, and benefited from the extensive legwork and expertise
of researchers. Yes, it would be great if we all could get these perks! But the rare,
priceless publicity the featured archives and researchers receive is good for those
archives and people, which is good for all of us genealogists.<br>
<br>
It takes a little longer to do this type of research on your own, but it is possible.
Here are a few of the genealogy takeaways I picked up from the show:<br>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Use a variety of genealogical records together:</b> Researchers started with censuses
and moved back and forth between death certificates, marriage records, military pensions,
court records, county and local histories, newspapers and pardon records.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Look to military records in the mid-1800s:</b> When Nixon wonders why Martha appears
in the 1850 census husbandless and with three children who have her maiden name, a <a href="http://www.nyhistory.org/">New
York state archives</a> researcher says he always considers military records during
this time period.
<br>
<br>
Martha’s son Noah (who isn't in Nixon's direct line—cluster research at work!) was
the right age to serve in the Civil War, and a <a href="http://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war/resources.html#pension">pension
record</a> based on his service could be rich in family details. A <a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4654">Civil
War pension index on Ancestry.com</a> lists a pension Martha filed as a parent dependent
upon her son's support. Civil War pensions aren’t microfilmed or digitized (except
for <a href="http://www.fold3.com/title_24/civil_war_widows_pensions/">a small number
on Fold3.com</a>), so Nixon went to the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/">National
Archives in Washington, DC</a>, to get the record. (The rest of us might hire an on-site
researcher or <a href="https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/start.swe?SWECmd=GotoView&amp;SWEPostnRowId=1-29XS&amp;SWEView=GPEA+Product+Catalog+Category+Detail+View+FFO&amp;SWEHo=eservices.archives.gov&amp;SWEPostnApplet=GPEA+Product+Catalog+Category+Form+Applet+FFO">order
copies</a> for $80.) Sure enough, she learns that Noah died in the war, and his father
died in 1842.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Use local histories and contemporary accounts:</b> Local history books and newspapers
provided several clues. A county history said Martha had killed her husband, and a
newspaper article described the circumstances of the husband's "unnatural" treatment
of her and his statement one morning that she'd be dead by sunset. A book by another
prisoner at that time describes Martha's experience.
<br>
<br>
Such books and newspapers might be at a state archives (the <a href="http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives">Missouri
State Archives</a> in this case) or historical society, a public or genealogical library,
or even online at sites such as <a href="http://books.google.com">Google Books</a> or <a href="http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov">Chronicling
America</a>.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Ask for help:</b> You don't have to be a celebrity or a film crew to get expert
advice from librarians and archivists. They probably won't do extensive research for
you, but if you succinctly explain your problem, they can direct you to resources
and get you started using them.&nbsp;
<br>
</li>
</ul>
What did you think of this episode? Did you pick up any genealogy research tips? You'll
find a ton of help getting your genealogy research started in our new <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/discover-your-roots-summer-2014-grouped/?lid=DHftbl072414FMSU14-T3209-GROUPED">summer
2014 <i>Discover Your Roots</i> guide</a>—learn more about it in ShopFamilyTree.com.<br>
<br>
<b>Update:</b> You can find out more about the genealogy research conducted for this
episode <a href="http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/07/25/who-do-you-think-you-are-recap-mapping-cynthia-nixons-ancestor/?utm_source=feedly&amp;utm_reader=feedly&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=who-do-you-think-you-are-recap-mapping-cynthia-nixons-ancestor">on
Ancestry.com's blog</a>.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=a1f2cbc4-8b4a-4b7c-9268-50098ff6622c" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a1f2cbc4-8b4a-4b7c-9268-50098ff6622c.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsCivil WarResearch Tipshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=7bebce56-e776-4a0f-a3d3-908e4d3c129fhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,7bebce56-e776-4a0f-a3d3-908e4d3c129f.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,7bebce56-e776-4a0f-a3d3-908e4d3c129f.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=7bebce56-e776-4a0f-a3d3-908e4d3c129f
It's my turn to take over the TV at our
house this Wednesday at 9 p.m. (Eastern), when the new season of the US series "Who
Do You Think You Are?" (WDYTYA?) premieres on TLC.

The first episode features the family tree of actor Cynthia Nixon, known for her role
as Miranda in "Sex and the City." I never got into "Sex and the City," but you can
bet I'll tune in to "WDYTYA?" for the genealogy.

Watch a trailer for the episode below. In it, Nixon views court records and visits
a prison where it sounds like one of her female ancestors was incarcerated.

Other celebrities featured this season include Valerie Bertinelli, Jesse Tyler Ferguson,
Lauren Graham, Kelsey Grammer, and sisters Rachel and Kayleen McAdams. We'll also
see some older episodes, from the show's run on NBC.

Ancestry.com sponsors
the show (which you'll likely gather from its prominent positioning in each episode).

If you can't watch on Wednesday or you don't have cable, most episodes are posted
to the "Who Do You
Think You Are?" website after airing. Anybody know if they'll be on Hulu?
I searched, but found only clips, not full episodes, from last year.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" (US) Premieres This Wednesdayhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,7bebce56-e776-4a0f-a3d3-908e4d3c129f.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/07/21/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreUSPremieresThisWednesday.aspx
Mon, 21 Jul 2014 14:38:23 GMTIt's my turn to take over the TV at our house this Wednesday at 9
p.m. (Eastern), when the new season of the US series "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" (WDYTYA?) premieres on TLC.<br>
<br>
The first episode features the family tree of actor Cynthia Nixon, known for her role
as Miranda in "Sex and the City." I never got into "Sex and the City," but you can
bet I'll tune in to "WDYTYA?" for the genealogy.<br>
<br>
Watch a trailer for the episode below. In it, Nixon views court records and visits
a prison where it sounds like one of her female ancestors was incarcerated.
<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/862070/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" width="560">
</iframe>
<br>
<br>
Other celebrities featured this season include Valerie Bertinelli, Jesse Tyler Ferguson,
Lauren Graham, Kelsey Grammer, and sisters Rachel and Kayleen McAdams. We'll also
see some older episodes, from the show's run on NBC.
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-3910067-11745137?url=http://www.ancestry.com">Ancestry.com</a> sponsors
the show (which you'll likely gather from its prominent positioning in each episode).
&nbsp;
<br>
<br>
If you can't watch on Wednesday or you don't have cable, most episodes are posted
to the <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">"Who Do You
Think You Are?" website</a> after airing. Anybody know if they'll be on <a href="http://hulu.com">Hulu</a>?
I searched, but found only clips, not full episodes, from last year.
<br>
<br>
We'll post a recap <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider">here on the
Genealogy Insider blog</a>, too.<br>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=7bebce56-e776-4a0f-a3d3-908e4d3c129f" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,7bebce56-e776-4a0f-a3d3-908e4d3c129f.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Genealogy TVhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=0ddba03d-585a-4f2d-a76f-4ee9a87cc594http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,0ddba03d-585a-4f2d-a76f-4ee9a87cc594.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,0ddba03d-585a-4f2d-a76f-4ee9a87cc594.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=0ddba03d-585a-4f2d-a76f-4ee9a87cc594

The UK-based genealogy company Findmypast and Wall-to-Wall, the "Who Do You Think
You Are?" TV show production company, are working together on Who
Do You Think You Are? Story, a website to help you "produce" your family
story. You'll enter information about your immediate family and upload photos, and
the site will play an "animated retelling" of your family story, including events
that may have affected your family. It will draw from historical records and British
newspaper articles at FindMyPast. You can be notified when the site launches by entering
your email address on the Who Do You think You Are? Story website. Read more about
the service on
the Findmypast blog.

Genealogy News Corral: July 14-18http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,0ddba03d-585a-4f2d-a76f-4ee9a87cc594.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/07/18/GenealogyNewsCorralJuly1418.aspx
Fri, 18 Jul 2014 13:48:52 GMT<ul>
<li>
The UK-based genealogy company Findmypast and Wall-to-Wall, the "Who Do You Think
You Are?" TV show production company,&nbsp; are working together on <a href="http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarestory.com/">Who
Do You Think You Are? Story</a>,&nbsp; a website to help you "produce" your family
story. You'll enter information about your immediate family and upload photos, and
the site will play an "animated retelling" of your family story, including events
that may have affected your family. It will draw from historical records and British
newspaper articles at FindMyPast. You can be notified when the site launches by <a href="http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarestory.com/">entering
your email address on the Who Do You think You Are? Story website</a>. Read more about
the service <a href="http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/2014/findmypast-and-wall-to-wall-introduce-who-do-you-think-you-are-story/">on
the Findmypast blog</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
Got black sheep ancestors from New York or California? <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-3910067-11745137?url=http://www.ancestry.com">Ancestry.com</a> has
added more than 130 years of prison records from these two states, including registers,
discharges and executive orders. You'll find details about the <a href="http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/07/08/new-sources-for-black-sheep-part-1-new-york-prison-records/">prison
records from New York here</a> and <a href="http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/07/11/new-sources-for-black-sheep-part-2-california-prison-records/">the
prison records from California here</a>.
<br>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
The <a href="http://americanancestors.org">New England Historic Genealogical Society</a> (NEHGS)
and <a href="http://www.myheritage.com">MyHeritage</a> are putting on a <a href="http://www.americanancestors.org/family-history-day/">Family
History Day genealogy workshop</a> Aug. 2 in Amherst, Mass. It'll focus on best practices
in genealogy research and how to get the most out of NEHGS' AmericanAncestors.org
website. Consultations with NEHGS experts also will be available. <a href="http://www.americanancestors.org/family-history-day/">You
can see the schedule and register on the AmericanAncestors.org website</a> (note that
the discounted early bird registration ends <b>today</b>, July 18).</li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
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Cable television network TLC has announced the premiere date and the stars of the
2014 season of "Who
Do You Think You Are?" (US version).

The new season will start Wednesday, July 23, at 9/8 central on TLC. (If you don't
have cable or can't watch that evening, the episodes usually become available on
the show's website after they air.)

Six new episodes will air, featuring the family histories of:

Valerie Bertinelli, an actor whose work includes the 70s/80s series "One Day
at a Time" and the current "Hot in Cleveland"

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Premiere Announced + More Genealogy TV Newshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,37c6252e-f12e-4981-92ca-29e1e9ac4559.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/06/04/WhoDoYouThinkYouArePremiereAnnouncedMoreGenealogyTVNews.aspx
Wed, 04 Jun 2014 18:20:39 GMT Cable television network TLC has announced the premiere date and the stars of the 2014 season
of "<a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tlc-who-do-you-think-you-are-season-5-lineup-preview-premiere-date/">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" (US version).
<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/wdytya-logo.jpg" border="0" height="194" width="291">
<br>
<br>
The new season will start Wednesday, July 23, at 9/8 central on TLC. (If you don't
have cable or can't watch that evening, the episodes usually become available <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tlc-who-do-you-think-you-are-season-5-lineup-preview-premiere-date/">on
the show's website</a> after they air.)
<br>
<br>
Six new episodes will air, featuring the family histories of:
<br>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<ul>
<li>
<b>Valerie Bertinelli</b>, an actor whose work includes the 70s/80s series "One Day
at a Time" and the current "Hot in Cleveland"</li>
<li>
<b>Jesse Tyler Ferguson</b>, an actor on "Modern Family"</li>
<li>
<b>Lauren Graham</b>, actor on "Gilmore Girls" (one of my most-favorite-ever TV shows)</li>
<li>
<b>Kelsey Grammer</b>, actor on "Cheers" and "Frasier"</li>
<li>
<b>Cynthia Nixon</b>, actor on the "Sex and the City" TV series and movies<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>Rachel McAdams</b>, Canadian actor in movies such as "The Notebook" and "About
Time," and her sister, celebrity makeup artist <b>Kayleen McAdams</b>
</li>
</ul>
In addition, TLC has acquired 10 of the episodes that aired on NBC during previous
seasons. Those feature
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Rob Lowe, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Gwyneth Paltrow,
Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Vanessa Williams and Rita Wilson.<br>
<br>
You can <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/tlc-who-do-you-think-you-are-season-5-lineup-preview-premiere-date/">read
about the new "Who Do You Think You Are?" season on The Wrap</a>.<br>
<br>
In other genealogy television news:<br>
<ul>
<li>
"<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/">Finding Your Roots With Henry
Louis Gates Jr.</a>," will premiere on PBS Sept. 23. Guests will include actor Sally
Field, Food Network chef <span class="userContent"> Aarón Sánchez, </span>actor Ben
Affleck, singer Carole King,actor and comedian Tina Fey, political commentator Alan
Dershowitz, <span class="userContent">White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett</span> and
others.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
I haven't heard an official announcement that "Genealogy Road Show" is coming back,
but the show did yesterday post to Facebook and Twitter that it's <a href="http://www.grcasting.com/">seeking
stories to show in upcoming episodes</a>. If you've been trying to find the truth
behind a family legend, <a href="http://www.grcasting.com/">the link to apply to appear
on "Genealogy Roadshow" is here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=37c6252e-f12e-4981-92ca-29e1e9ac4559" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,37c6252e-f12e-4981-92ca-29e1e9ac4559.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Genealogy TVhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=3c804ba7-1417-41a2-9a00-bdea52759d53http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,3c804ba7-1417-41a2-9a00-bdea52759d53.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,3c804ba7-1417-41a2-9a00-bdea52759d53.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=3c804ba7-1417-41a2-9a00-bdea52759d531
"Who Do You Think You Are?" watchers, rejoice—the
genealogy series has been renewed for a second season TLC. The network has ordered
10 episodes, an increase over this season's eight.

The celebrities haven't been announced. Which celebrities would you like to see on
"Who Do You Think You Are?" in 2014?

Don't be sad—your genealogy TV-watching isn't over for the year. We still have four
episodes of the new series "Genealogy Roadshow" coming up on PBS, starting Monday,
Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. It'll explore noncelebrities' family history claims and reveal
the answers before a live audience.

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Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:59:26 GMT"Who Do You Think You Are?" watchers, rejoice—<a href="http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a514323/who-do-you-think-you-are-us-renewed-for-second-season-by-tlc.html">the
genealogy series has been renewed for a second season TLC</a>. The network has ordered
10 episodes, an increase over this season's eight.<br>
<br>
The celebrities haven't been announced. Which celebrities would you like to see on
"Who Do You Think You Are?" in 2014?<br>
<br>
Last night's <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/09/11/JimParsonsOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreSurnameMeaningsAndOrigins.aspx">WDYTYA?
season finale showed "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons</a>' search for his French
roots in Louisiana and in France. Among his ancestors were a <a href="http://tulane.edu/about/history.cfm">Medical
College of Louisiana</a>-trained physician and an architect to King Louis XV.<br>
<br>
Don't be sad—your genealogy TV-watching isn't over for the year. We still have <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/27/PBSSeriesGenealogyRoadshowExploresRootsOfEverydayAmericans.aspx">four
episodes of the new series "Genealogy Roadshow"</a> coming up on PBS, starting Monday,
Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. It'll explore noncelebrities' family history claims and reveal
the answers before a live audience.<br>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=3c804ba7-1417-41a2-9a00-bdea52759d53" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,3c804ba7-1417-41a2-9a00-bdea52759d53.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsGenealogy TVhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=171680ce-0223-45be-b2d5-54cbec8e384ehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,171680ce-0223-45be-b2d5-54cbec8e384e.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,171680ce-0223-45be-b2d5-54cbec8e384e.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=171680ce-0223-45be-b2d5-54cbec8e384e
Last night on "Who
Do You Think You Are?", Jim Parsons (that's him on the right) learned that his
great-grandmother's Hacker surname is French.

My guess (after finding a bunch of online articles about computer hacking in France)
is that the name is variant of Hacher,
from the French word for "chop"—perhaps an occupational
surname for a woodcutter.

We at Family Tree Magazine get a fair number of questions about "Where does
my last name come from?" and the answer isn't always easy.

You can hear some surnames and know immediately they're German (take my Depenbrocks)
or Italian (such as Fiorelli) or whatever, but others are more ambiguous. And it could
be that your surname is a variant of the original name, or an Americanized spelling
your immigrant ancestor adopted after arriving here. Our contributing editor Nancy
Hendrickson gives her Shore family name as an example: She always thought it was English,
but it's actually a variation of a Swiss name, Schorr.

Jim Parsons on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Surname Meanings and Originshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,171680ce-0223-45be-b2d5-54cbec8e384e.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/09/11/JimParsonsOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreSurnameMeaningsAndOrigins.aspx
Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:32:21 GMTLast night on "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>", Jim Parsons (that's him on the right) learned that his
great-grandmother's Hacker surname is French.<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/parsons.png" border="0" height="301" width="499">
<br>
<br>
<i>Hacker</i> is on the <a href="http://www.acadianmemorial.org/ensemble_encore2/cajunrootsc.htm">Acadian
Memorial Archive's list of common Creole surnames</a>. I kind of wish the genealogist
at the <a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/collections/historical_center/Library.aspx">Louisiana
Historical Center</a> in New Orleans had gone into the surname etymology a few seconds
more. <a href="http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts">Ancestry.com's last name meaning
search</a> (which provides definitions from the
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<i>Dictionary of American Family Names</i> by Oxford University Press) <a href="http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?te=3&amp;surname=hacker">says <i>Hacker</i> is
German, Dutch or Jewish</a>.&nbsp;
<br>
<br>
My guess (after finding a bunch of online articles about computer hacking in France)
is that the name is variant of <a href="http://www.houseofnames.com/hacher-history/French">Hacher</a>,
from the French word for "chop"—perhaps an <a href="http://familytreemagazine.com/article/Whats-in-a-Name">occupational
surname</a> for a woodcutter.
<br>
<br>
We at <i>Family Tree Magazine</i> get a fair number of questions about "Where does
my last name come from?" and the answer isn't always easy.
<br>
<br>
You can hear some surnames and know immediately they're German (take my Depenbrocks)
or Italian (such as Fiorelli) or whatever, but others are more ambiguous. And it could
be that your surname is a variant of the original name, or an Americanized spelling
your immigrant ancestor adopted after arriving here. Our contributing editor Nancy
Hendrickson gives her Shore family name as an example: She always thought it was English,
but it's actually a variation of a Swiss name, Schorr.<br>
<br>
Want to know where your last name comes from? <a href="http://familytreemagazine.com/article/all-about-surnames">See
our seven surname research tips on FamilyTreeMagazine.com</a> (free article).
<br>
<br>
Also check out <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=surnames/?lid=DHftbl091113">ShopFamilyTree.com
surname resources</a> such as the book <i><a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/american-surnames-gpc5445/?lid=DHftbl091113z8847">American
Surnames</a></i> by Elsdon Coles Smith or <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/the-surnames-of-wales-gpc5032/?lid=DHftbl091113z8856">The
Surnames of Wales</a> by John and Sheila Rowlands.
<br>
<br>
You can improve your online genealogy searching for ancestors' names with <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/google-surname-search-secrets-w8718/?lid=DHftbl091113w8718">Lisa
Louise Cooke's Google Surname Search Secrets video class</a>.
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/jim-parsons.htm">Watch
the full "Who Do You Think You Are?" episode with "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons
on the show's website</a>.<br>
<br>
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Tonight, TLC's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" ends its TV season with a bang—a Big Bang, that is, in
an episode featuring "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons (see what I did there?). He
plays Sheldon Cooper, a portrayal often credited for the sitcom's success.

In this preview of tonight's WDYTYA?, Parsons sounds like any other getting-started
family historian. He says he wants to learn more about his genealogy to honor the
memory of his father, and that someone—he can't remember who—told him the family has
French roots and a Louisiana connection.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Ends the Season With a "Big Bang"http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,3d7c15c9-ace1-4a7c-84d8-8e8680f6bb70.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/09/10/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreEndsTheSeasonWithABigBang.aspx
Tue, 10 Sep 2013 16:43:26 GMTTonight, TLC's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" ends its TV season with a bang—a Big Bang, that is, in
an episode featuring "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons (see what I did there?). He
plays Sheldon Cooper, a portrayal often credited for the sitcom's success.<br>
<br>
In this preview of tonight's WDYTYA?, Parsons sounds like any other getting-started
family historian. He says he wants to learn more about his genealogy to honor the
memory of his father, and that someone—he can't remember who—told him the family has
French roots and a Louisiana connection.<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/836367/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="340" scrolling="no" width="600">
</iframe>
<p>
You can watch Parsons on WDYTYA? tonight on TLC at 9/8 Central.
<br>
</p>
<p>
<b>Update</b>: <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/09/11/JimParsonsOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreSurnameMeaningsAndOrigins.aspx">See
my post-watching post about Jim Parsons' "Who Do You Think You Are?" epsiode here</a>.<br>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=3d7c15c9-ace1-4a7c-84d8-8e8680f6bb70" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,3d7c15c9-ace1-4a7c-84d8-8e8680f6bb70.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=ee9f308d-7906-4b25-853c-2aa4b807d7bfhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,ee9f308d-7906-4b25-853c-2aa4b807d7bf.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,ee9f308d-7906-4b25-853c-2aa4b807d7bf.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=ee9f308d-7906-4b25-853c-2aa4b807d7bf
On "Who Do You Think
You Are?" last night, country singer and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood learned
her orphaned, impoverished fifth-great-grandfather was convicted of stealing and killing
deer from an estate in 1760s England.

But instead of being hanged—then the lawful punishment for this crime—he was transported
to Britain's American Colonies. There, he received land that once belonged to the
Creek Indians, and his fortunes eventually reversed.

For researching British ancestors in general—whether or not they were convicts—check
out our Ultimate
British Genealogy Collection of how-to guides and video courses on uncovering
your family's records. It's 60% off right now in ShopFamilyTree.com, but only 100
are available!

You can watch
the full "Who Do You Think You Are?" Trisha Yearwood episode online."Who Do You Think You Are?": Researching British Convict Ancestorshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,ee9f308d-7906-4b25-853c-2aa4b807d7bf.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/09/04/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreResearchingBritishConvictAncestors.aspx
Wed, 04 Sep 2013 14:16:37 GMT On "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who Do You Think
You Are?</a>" last night, country singer and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood learned
her orphaned, impoverished fifth-great-grandfather was convicted of stealing and killing
deer from an estate in 1760s England.
<br>
<br>
But instead of being hanged—then the lawful punishment for this crime—he was transported
to Britain's American Colonies. There, he received land that once belonged to the
Creek Indians, and his fortunes eventually reversed.<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/winslett-land.png" border="0">
<br>
Here's Yearwood viewing that land, along with historian Joshua S. Haines.<br>
<br>
Though early American historians downplayed the presence of former British convicts
in their midst, it's now estimated that <a href="http://www.earlyamericancrime.com/convict-transportation/epilogue/epilogue" target="blank">more
than 52,000 immigrants to the 13 Colonies from 1700 to 1775 were convicts and prisoners</a>.
<br>
<br>
(The same article points out that African slaves and indentured servants also were
a significant proportion of arrivals; only about a quarter of the era's immigrants
traveled here of their own will.)<br>
<br>
If your British roots go back to a convict, see our <a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/criminal-ancestors-in-britain" target="blank">free
FamilyTreeMagazine.com article about online genealogy resources for British convicts,</a> such
as records from the Old Bailey in London and Scotland's Inverary Jail, as well as
the UK national archives' prison photos.<br>
<br>
For researching British ancestors in general—whether or not they were convicts—check
out our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/ultimate-british-genealogy-collection-t1080/?lid=Dhftbl090413t1080" target="blank">Ultimate
British Genealogy Collection</a> of how-to guides and video courses on uncovering
your family's records. It's 60% off right now in ShopFamilyTree.com, but only 100
are available!&nbsp;
<br>
<br>
You can <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/trisha-yearwood.htm">watch
the full "Who Do You Think You Are?" Trisha Yearwood episode online</a>.<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=ee9f308d-7906-4b25-853c-2aa4b807d7bf" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,ee9f308d-7906-4b25-853c-2aa4b807d7bf.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsResearch TipsUK and Irish rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=e9c9a3e4-3c32-45f7-80b2-f3a756046e71http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,e9c9a3e4-3c32-45f7-80b2-f3a756046e71.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,e9c9a3e4-3c32-45f7-80b2-f3a756046e71.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=e9c9a3e4-3c32-45f7-80b2-f3a756046e71
Tonight is genealogy TV night once again:
Country music star and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood, a native of Monticello, Ga.,
traces her roots on TLC's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" at 9/8 central.

In case your evening involves other plans or you don't have cable, TLC has been posting
"Who Do You Think You Are?" episodes on
the show's website after they air.Tonight on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Trisha Yearwoodhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,e9c9a3e4-3c32-45f7-80b2-f3a756046e71.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/09/03/TonightOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreTrishaYearwood.aspx
Tue, 03 Sep 2013 15:39:00 GMTTonight is genealogy TV night once again: Country music star and
cookbook author Trisha Yearwood, a native of Monticello, Ga., traces
her roots on TLC's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/trisha-yearwood.htm">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" at 9/8 central.<br>
<br>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
Yearwood visits the <a href="http://www.library.nashville.org/localhistory/his_localhistory.asp">Nashville
Public Library</a> to search for information on her father's side of the family. She'll
also go to England, but not to trace royal lineage, <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/28/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreCharlemagneConnectionsAndEnglishRoots.aspx">as
Cindy Crawford did in last week's episode</a>.
<br>
<br>
Instead, <a href="http://www.trishayearwood.com/wired/trisha-featured-on-tlcs-who-do-you-think-you-are/#.UiX967-w7Jw">as
TLC describes Yearwood's search</a>, "she uncovers an ancestor’s history of crime,
loss, and perseverance."<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/32075_ep107_360_.jpg" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Here, she combs through a document with historian James Horn at <a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/">the
National Archives of England</a>.<br>
<br>
In case your evening involves other plans or you don't have cable, TLC has been posting
"Who Do You Think You Are?" episodes <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">on
the show's website</a> after they air.<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=e9c9a3e4-3c32-45f7-80b2-f3a756046e71" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,e9c9a3e4-3c32-45f7-80b2-f3a756046e71.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsUK and Irish rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=5433a280-237a-46b6-8d34-f3bebb0249bfhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,5433a280-237a-46b6-8d34-f3bebb0249bf.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,5433a280-237a-46b6-8d34-f3bebb0249bf.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=5433a280-237a-46b6-8d34-f3bebb0249bf5
It's actually not unusual to descend from Charlemagne,
whom Cindy Crawford learned is in her family tree on last night's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" As noted in the show, the eighth-century Frankish king
had 20 children with different women (with eight of 10 known wives or concubines).

Charlemagne, who lived from April 2, 742 to Jan. 28, 814, was Cindy Crawford's 41st-great-grandfather.

When you go back 40 generations, and you have roughly a trillion ancestors—more than
the number of people who existed at the time Charlemagne lived. (Virtually all family
trees have consanguineous marriages, so the same person will appear in multiple places
in a tree.)

This
NationalGeographic.com article explains how there comes a point in history when
"all individuals who have any descendants among the present-day individuals"
(that's us) "are actually ancestors of all present-day individuals."

and

"all Europeans alive today have among their ancestors the same man or
woman who lived around 1400 ... About a thousand years ago, a peculiar situation prevailed:
20 percent of the adult Europeans alive in 1000 would turn out to be the ancestors
of no one living today (that is, they had no children or all their descendants eventually
died childless); each of the remaining 80 percent would turn out to be a direct ancestor
of every European living today."

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Charlemagne Connections and English Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,5433a280-237a-46b6-8d34-f3bebb0249bf.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/28/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreCharlemagneConnectionsAndEnglishRoots.aspx
Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:25:34 GMTIt's actually not unusual to descend from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne">Charlemagne</a>,
whom Cindy Crawford learned is in her family tree on last night's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" As noted in the show, the eighth-century Frankish king
had 20 children with different women (with eight of 10 known wives or concubines).<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/cindycrawford.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Charlemagne, who lived from April 2, 742 to Jan. 28, 814, was Cindy Crawford's 41st-great-grandfather.
<p>
When you go back 40 generations, and you have roughly a trillion ancestors—more than
the number of people who existed at the time Charlemagne lived. (Virtually all family
trees have consanguineous marriages, so the same person will appear in multiple places
in a tree.)<br>
<br>
<a href="http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/07/charlemagnes-dna-and-our-universal-royalty/">This
NationalGeographic.com article</a> explains how there comes a point in history when
"all individuals who have <i>any</i> descendants among the present-day individuals"
(that's us) "are actually ancestors of <i>all</i> present-day individuals."<br>
<br>
and
</p>
<blockquote> "all Europeans alive today have among their ancestors the same man or
woman who lived around 1400 ... About a thousand years ago, a peculiar situation prevailed:
20 percent of the adult Europeans alive in 1000 would turn out to be the ancestors
of no one living today (that is, they had no children or all their descendants eventually
died childless); each of the remaining 80 percent would turn out to be a direct ancestor
of every European living today."
<br>
</blockquote> So anyone of European descent is probably related to Charlemagne, and
to his royal relatives as well. Of course, documenting the generations back to royalty
is another thing. <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/discover-your-roots-spring-2011-w2157/?lid=DHftbl082813w2157">You
can get started discovering your royal roots with the six steps in our Spring 2011 <i>Discover
Your Roots</i> bookazine</a>.<br>
<br>
If you have English ancestry of any variety, as Cindy Crawford did through her Trowbridge
line, there's still time to sign up for our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/best-english-genealogy-websites-webinar/?lid=DHftbl082813t0518">Aug.
29 webinar and learn how to research English genealogy online</a>.
<br>
<br>
You also can get our e-book <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/genealogists-guide-to-discovering-your-english-ancestors-download/?lid=DHftbl082813v8713"><i>A
Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your English Ancestors</i></a>.<br>
<br>
If you missed last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/cindy-crawford-.htm">you
can watch it on the show's website</a>.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=5433a280-237a-46b6-8d34-f3bebb0249bf" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,5433a280-237a-46b6-8d34-f3bebb0249bf.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsGenealogy TVUK and Irish rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=8fcdfb07-31f5-4d78-b67c-fa3a1c368a20http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,8fcdfb07-31f5-4d78-b67c-fa3a1c368a20.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,8fcdfb07-31f5-4d78-b67c-fa3a1c368a20.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=8fcdfb07-31f5-4d78-b67c-fa3a1c368a20
I'm looking forward to tomorrow's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" because actor Chris O'Donnell stops in St. Louis, my stomping
grounds during college and briefly thereafter.

Although I wasn't researching genealogy in earnest at that time, I did have an appreciation
for St. Louis' rich history and I loved to visit the Missouri
History Museum. I wonder what St. Louis sites will make an appearance in the show?

Chris O'Donnell visits St. Louis on "Who Do You Think You Are?"http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,8fcdfb07-31f5-4d78-b67c-fa3a1c368a20.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/19/ChrisODonnellVisitsStLouisOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAre.aspx
Mon, 19 Aug 2013 15:28:10 GMT I'm looking forward to tomorrow's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" because actor Chris O'Donnell stops in St. Louis, my stomping
grounds during college and briefly thereafter.
<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/odonnell.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Although I wasn't researching genealogy in earnest at that time, I did have an appreciation
for St. Louis' rich history and I loved to visit the <a href="http://www.mohistory.org/">Missouri
History Museum</a>. I wonder what St. Louis sites will make an appearance in the show?<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/actor-chris-o-donnell-explores-his-history-in-st-louis/article_f2c42de5-e5f2-5d2a-a9bc-d0b1b3101843.html">According
to the <i>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</i></a>, O'Donnell met with <a href="http://www.mohistory.org/lrc-home">Missouri
History Museum Library and Research Center</a> archivist Dennis Northcott, whom I've
had fun chatting with at genealogy conferences. (Hey, I'm <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation">one
degree</a> from Chris O'Donnell!)<br>
<br>
On Tuesday's episode, O'Donnell also visits <a href="http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm">Fort
McHenry</a> in Baltimore (I'm predicting a War of 1812 connection), the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/">National
Archives in Washington, DC</a>, and the <a href="http://www.si.edu">Smithsonian Institution</a>.<br>
<br>
"Who Do You Think You Are?" (the US version) airs at 9/8 Central on TLC. <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">If
you miss it, episodes are being posted to the show's website after they air</a>. With
getting ready for the <a href="https://www.fgsconference.org/">FGS conference in Fort
Wayne, Ind.</a>, this week, I might have to avail myself of that option.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=8fcdfb07-31f5-4d78-b67c-fa3a1c368a20" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,8fcdfb07-31f5-4d78-b67c-fa3a1c368a20.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsLibraries and ArchivesMuseumshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=b0b447ab-f4f6-421a-b7f5-7c50db4aa03fhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,b0b447ab-f4f6-421a-b7f5-7c50db4aa03f.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,b0b447ab-f4f6-421a-b7f5-7c50db4aa03f.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=b0b447ab-f4f6-421a-b7f5-7c50db4aa03f2
On last night's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" actress Zooey Deschanel traveled to Pennsylvania to learn
more about her fourth-great-grandmother Sarah (Henderson) Pownall's abolitionist activities.

Toward the beginning of the episode, Deschanel was presented with a long family tree
of names and dates, perhaps to help viewers transition from the present back to a
fourth-great-grandparent. Then the show turned its focus to Sarah Pownall.

My favorite quote from this episode is after Deschanel read an antislavery statement
Sarah Pownall signed. Deschanel said "Yesterday all I had was a family tree. Now I
have an identity for this woman." Names and dates are nice, but the more you get to
know about your ancestors' lives, the more those names mean to you.

You're lucky if you have Quaker roots—Quakers kept good records, and you'll find plentiful
printed and online information.

Once you know your Quaker ancestor's name and location, a good resource to start is
the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy by William Wade Hinshaw (Genealogical
Publishing Co., available
on CD and searchable
on Ancestry.com), which abstracts monthly meeting records.

If you missed Zooey Deschanel's episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" it's
available for viewing on the show's website.Zooey Deschanel on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Quaker Genealogy Tipshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,b0b447ab-f4f6-421a-b7f5-7c50db4aa03f.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/14/ZooeyDeschanelOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreQuakerGenealogyTips.aspx
Wed, 14 Aug 2013 14:24:57 GMT On last night's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" actress Zooey Deschanel traveled to Pennsylvania to learn
more about her fourth-great-grandmother Sarah (Henderson) Pownall's abolitionist activities.
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://familytreemagazine.com/article/AncestorNews-Quaker-Roots"><img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/pownall[1].png" border="0"></a>
<br>
<br>
Toward the beginning of the episode, Deschanel was presented with a long family tree
of names and dates, perhaps to help viewers transition from the present back to a
fourth-great-grandparent. Then the show turned its focus to Sarah Pownall.
<br>
<br>
My favorite quote from this episode is after Deschanel read an antislavery statement
Sarah Pownall signed. Deschanel said "Yesterday all I had was a family tree. Now I
have an identity for this woman." Names and dates are nice, but the more you get to
know about your ancestors' lives, the more those names mean to you.<br>
<br>
You're lucky if you have Quaker roots—Quakers kept good records, and you'll find plentiful
printed and online information.
<br>
<br>
Once you know your Quaker ancestor's name and location, a good resource to start is
the <i>Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy</i> by William Wade Hinshaw (Genealogical
Publishing Co., <a href="http://www.genealogical.com/products/Encyclopedia%20of%20Quaker%20Genealogy%201750%201930/7192.html">available
on CD</a> and <a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48129">searchable
on Ancestry.com</a>), which abstracts monthly meeting records.<br>
<br>
Also search the <a href="http://familytreemagazine.com/article/AncestorNews-Quaker-Roots">Quaker
genealogy websites we list on FamilyTreeMagazine.com</a>.<br>
<br>
Our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/religious-records-researching-quaker-ancestors-u4047/?lid=Dhftbl081413u4047">guide
to researching Quaker ancestors, from our Religious Records series, is available in
ShopFamilyTree.com</a>.<br>
<br>
If you missed Zooey Deschanel's episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/zooey-deschanel-.htm">it's
available for viewing on the show's website</a>.<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=b0b447ab-f4f6-421a-b7f5-7c50db4aa03f" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,b0b447ab-f4f6-421a-b7f5-7c50db4aa03f.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsChurch recordsResearch Tipshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=eaf39ae5-2037-45c9-9ee0-64d09bbb7cf7http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,eaf39ae5-2037-45c9-9ee0-64d09bbb7cf7.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,eaf39ae5-2037-45c9-9ee0-64d09bbb7cf7.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=eaf39ae5-2037-45c9-9ee0-64d09bbb7cf7
I've been looking forward to tonight's episode of "Who
Do You Think You Are?" with Zooey
Deschanel.

I never got into her show "New Girl," but she and her sister Emily (who's on the show
"Bones," which I love) are two of my favorite actresses.

Deschanel will go to Pennsylvania for a journey into her Quaker roots.

Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" tonight at 9/8 central on TLC. If you can't watch
or don't have cable, the episode will be available for viewing on
the show's website.Tonight on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Zooey Deschanel's Quaker Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,eaf39ae5-2037-45c9-9ee0-64d09bbb7cf7.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/13/TonightOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreZooeyDeschanelsQuakerRoots.aspx
Tue, 13 Aug 2013 17:10:55 GMT I've been looking forward to tonight's episode of "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" with <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/zooey-deschanel.htm">Zooey
Deschanel</a>.
<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/Screen%20Shot%202013-08-13%20at%2012.44.51%20PM.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
I never got into her show "New Girl," but she and her sister Emily (who's on the show
"Bones," which I love) are two of my favorite actresses.<br>
<br>
Deschanel will go to Pennsylvania for a journey into her Quaker roots.<br>
<br>
Can't wait till tonight to know more? <a href="http://genealogy.about.com/b/2011/11/01/ancestors-emily-deschanel.htm">About.com
Genealogy blogger Kimberly Powell blogged about those roots and other branches of
the Deschanel family tree here</a>.
<br>
<br>
Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" tonight at 9/8 central on TLC. If you can't watch
or don't have cable, the episode will be available for viewing <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">on
the show's website</a>.<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=eaf39ae5-2037-45c9-9ee0-64d09bbb7cf7" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,eaf39ae5-2037-45c9-9ee0-64d09bbb7cf7.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=74bbe824-d03d-4ccc-9010-ed2814140798http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,74bbe824-d03d-4ccc-9010-ed2814140798.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,74bbe824-d03d-4ccc-9010-ed2814140798.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=74bbe824-d03d-4ccc-9010-ed28141407981
From the beginning of last night's "Who
Do You Think You Are?," Chelsea
Handler knew her mother's father had been a German soldier in WWII. She just wanted
to know the extent of his involvement. Her Jewish heritage through her father's family
heightened her curiosity.

The
Leistungsbuch ("performance book") mentioned in yesterday's
post and seen here:

wasn't a military service record after all. Rather, it was a record of the grandfather's
scores in the Nazi party's Sports Badge Program, part of the mandatory labor service
program and a way to provide military-style training without violating the Treaty
of Versailles.

A few things I liked about this episode:

It shows the importance of learning the historical context in which your ancestors
lived. Knowing about post-WWI life in Germany helped Handler understand why many Germans
supported Adolf Hitler when he first came to power. Finding out about her grandfather's
experience in the Camp Algona (Iowa) POW camp revealed
his likely motivation for later moving his family to America.

It showed a side of WWII history—the lives of ordinary Germans during that era—that
I didn't know much about.

The WWII historian who met Handler on the beach, and who was there serving in the
Army the day her grandfather was captured. I bet he could tell some stories!

But if your German ancestors, like mine, immigrated to America in the 1800s, church
records will be your main source of information in Germany. Chances are you can find
German church records yourself. I know this because the October/November 2013 Family
Tree Magazine will have Rick Crume's step-by-step guide to German church records.
I'll let you know when it's available.

Chelsea Handler on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Tracing German Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,74bbe824-d03d-4ccc-9010-ed2814140798.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/07/ChelseaHandlerOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreTracingGermanRoots.aspx
Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:29:12 GMTFrom the beginning of last night's "Who Do You Think You Are?," <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/chelsea-handler.htm">Chelsea
Handler</a> knew her mother's father had been a German soldier in WWII. She just wanted
to know the extent of his involvement. Her Jewish heritage through her father's family
heightened her curiosity.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/chelsea-handler-.htm#mkcpgn=fbtlc43">If
you missed the episode, you can watch it on the TLC website</a>.<br>
<br>
The
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<i>Leistungsbuch</i> ("performance book") mentioned in <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/06/TonightOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreChelseaHandlersRootsInNaziGermany.aspx">yesterday's
post</a> and seen here:<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/german-record.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
wasn't a military service record after all. Rather, it was a record of the grandfather's
scores in the Nazi party's Sports Badge Program, part of the mandatory labor service
program and a way to provide military-style training without violating the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles">Treaty
of Versailles</a>.
<br>
<br>
A few things I liked about this episode:<br>
<ul>
<li>
It shows the importance of learning the historical context in which your ancestors
lived. Knowing about post-WWI life in Germany helped Handler understand why many Germans
supported Adolf Hitler when he first came to power. Finding out about her grandfather's
experience in the <a href="http://www.pwcamp.algona.org/">Camp Algona (Iowa) POW camp</a> revealed
his likely motivation for later moving his family to America.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
It showed a side of WWII history—the lives of ordinary Germans during that era—that
I didn't know much about.&nbsp;
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
The WWII historian who met Handler on the beach, and who was there serving in the
Army the day her grandfather was captured. I bet he could tell some stories!<br>
</li>
</ul>
Foreign archives and languages makes the research in this episode more difficult for
the average person than <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/24/YouDontHaveToBeKellyClarksonToResearchYourCivilWarAncestor.aspx">Kelly
Clarkson's Civil War research</a> or <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/31/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreTipsToFindTheGenealogyRecordsChristinaApplegateUsed.aspx">Christina
Applegate's 20th-century research in New Jersey</a>.
<br>
<br>
But if your German ancestors, like mine, immigrated to America in the 1800s, church
records will be your main source of information in Germany. Chances are you can find
German church records yourself. I know this because the October/November 2013 <i>Family
Tree Magazine</i> will have Rick Crume's step-by-step guide to German church records.
I'll let you know when it's available.<br>
<br>
Because so many Americans have German ancestry, we have a number of <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=german/?lid=DHftbl080713german">German
genealogy guides in ShopFamilyTree.com</a>:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
I'm using our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/digd-german-genealogy-cheat-sheet/?lid=Dhftbl080713u1888">German
Genealogy Cheat Sheet</a> to help me read my <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/29/TheMysteryMenInTheFamilyPlotTurningGenealogyCluesIntoAnswers.aspx">relatives'
obituaries</a> in German-language newspapers.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
Our <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/mastering-german-place-names-video-class-u4150/?lid=Dhftbl080813u4150">Mastering
German Place Names video class</a> can help you pinpoint the locate of your ancestors'
hometown in Germany (making it possible for you to search German church and other
records). &nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/genealogists-guide-to-discovering-germanic-ancestors/?lid=DHftbl080713v8719"><i>A
Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Germanic Ancestors</i> digital book</a> by
S. Chris Anderson and Ernest Those is a comprehensive German genealogy guide.</li>
</ul>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=74bbe824-d03d-4ccc-9010-ed2814140798" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,74bbe824-d03d-4ccc-9010-ed2814140798.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsGerman rootsResearch Tipshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=8444fefd-69ce-4a52-a796-80d215784b31http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,8444fefd-69ce-4a52-a796-80d215784b31.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,8444fefd-69ce-4a52-a796-80d215784b31.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=8444fefd-69ce-4a52-a796-80d215784b311
This evening's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" promises to reveal more disturbing family news from the
not-too-distant past (we blogged
last week about the troubled life of Christina Applegate's grandmother).

This teaser for tonight's episode gives you a glimpse of actress and talk show host
Chelsea Handler's quest for information about her German grandparents' involvement
with the Nazi regime:

The booklet you see in the clip is titled Leistungsbuch, which translates to
"performance book." Possibly a German military record? I guess we'll find out tonight.

Watch this season's "Who Do You Think You Are?" at 9/8 central on TLC. (And if you
have other plans or don't have cable, TLC has been putting full episodes on
the show's website the next day.)

Tonight on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Chelsea Handler's Roots in Nazi Germany http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,8444fefd-69ce-4a52-a796-80d215784b31.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/08/06/TonightOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreChelseaHandlersRootsInNaziGermany.aspx
Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:47:50 GMT This evening's "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" promises to reveal more disturbing family news from the
not-too-distant past (we <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/31/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreTipsToFindTheGenealogyRecordsChristinaApplegateUsed.aspx">blogged
last week about the troubled life of Christina Applegate's grandmother</a>).
<br>
<br>
This teaser for tonight's episode gives you a glimpse of actress and talk show host
Chelsea Handler's quest for information about her German grandparents' involvement
with the Nazi regime:<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/833630/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="340" scrolling="no" width="600">
</iframe>
<br>
<br>
The booklet you see in the clip is titled <i>Leistungsbuch</i>, which translates to
"performance book." Possibly a German military record? I guess we'll find out tonight.<br>
<br>
Watch this season's "Who Do You Think You Are?" at 9/8 central on TLC. (And if you
have other plans or don't have cable, TLC has been putting full episodes <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">on
the show's website</a> the next day.)<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=8444fefd-69ce-4a52-a796-80d215784b31" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,8444fefd-69ce-4a52-a796-80d215784b31.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsGerman rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=61a72507-42df-4bb2-9bde-fd03fd570663http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,61a72507-42df-4bb2-9bde-fd03fd570663.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,61a72507-42df-4bb2-9bde-fd03fd570663.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=61a72507-42df-4bb2-9bde-fd03fd5706631
Last's night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" with Christina Applegate is a good example
of how much you can learn even if you start with very little information. All she
had to begin her search for her paternal grandmother was her father Robert's birth
certificate and his mother's name.

Robert thought he remembered a few other details, such as when his mother died, but
those vague memories turned out to be wrong. At one point he even said "I thought
I was older."

Yes, I teared up at the end of the show when Robert appeared devastated to learn of
the violence in his parents' marriage and his mother's death caused by tuberculosis
and alcoholism. And then when Christina comforted him by pointing out how he's had
a positive life despite having every reason not to. And again when he left flowers
at his mother's grave, knowing she had wanted him buried by her side.

Genealogy can be healing.

Documents consulted in the episode include:

Birth, marriage and death certificates. Almost all states had mandated keeping
these by the early-to-mid-20th century. (A few leave marriage records to counties.)
They're generally available from state vital records offices, but often access is
limited to immediate family for privacy reasons. Download
our free chart of statewide vital record-keeping dates from here.

I liked how the archivists helped Applegate examine documents for clues beyond just
names and ages. In the 1940 census, for example, they looked at the years of schooling
for each household member as well as the months out of work. They put those details
into the context of the lingering Great Depression and what that meant for the family.

To find Family Tree Magazine guides and video classes for doing genealogy research
in vital records, the census, newspapers and other records, visit ShopFamilyTree.com.
You can use the search box at the top of the site or browse
the Genealogy Records category."Who Do You Think You Are?": Tips to Find the Genealogy Records Christina Applegate Usedhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,61a72507-42df-4bb2-9bde-fd03fd570663.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/31/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreTipsToFindTheGenealogyRecordsChristinaApplegateUsed.aspx
Wed, 31 Jul 2013 14:15:01 GMT Last's night's "Who Do You Think You Are?" with Christina Applegate
is a good example of how much you can learn even if you start with very
little information. All she had to begin her search for her
paternal grandmother was her father Robert's birth certificate and his
mother's name. <br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/applegate.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
Robert thought he remembered a few other details, such as when his mother died, but
those vague memories turned out to be wrong. At one point he even said "I thought
I was older."
<br>
<br>
Yes, I teared up at the end of the show when Robert appeared devastated to learn of
the violence in his parents' marriage and his mother's death caused by tuberculosis
and alcoholism. And then when Christina comforted him by pointing out how he's had
a positive life despite having every reason not to. And again when he left flowers
at his mother's grave, knowing she had wanted him buried by her side.
<br>
<br>
Genealogy can be healing.<br>
<br>
Documents consulted in the episode include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
<b>Birth, marriage and death certificates.</b> Almost all states had mandated keeping
these by the early-to-mid-20th century. (A few leave marriage records to counties.)
They're generally available from state vital records offices, but often access is
limited to immediate family for privacy reasons. <a href="http://familytreemagazine.com/info/recordreferences">Download
our free chart of statewide vital record-keeping dates from here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Court records</b> for the grandparents' divorce. You can usually find these through
the court where the divorce was filed, though some older records are sent to state
archives or other repositories. <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/02/05/TabloidDivorcesHaveNothingOnTheseAncestors.aspx">Here's
how I found the old divorce record for my third-great-grandparents</a>.<br>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>The 1940 census</b>, which is <a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2442">free
to access on Ancestry.com</a> through 2013, and also <a href="https://familysearch.org/1940census">free
on FamilySearch.org</a>. You can <a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com/">get
a free guide to the 1940 census by going to FamilyTreeMagazine.com</a> and signing
up for our Genealogy Insider weekly newsletter.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Newspapers</b> (it looked like they searched newspapers on <a href="http://www.genealogybank.com">GenealogyBank</a>,
although no one named this competitor to show sponsor Ancestry.com). I listed some
of my favorite <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2011/08/16/WhereToFindHistoricalNewspapersOnline.aspx">websites
for online historical newspapers in this blog post</a>.<br>
</li>
</ul>
I liked how the archivists helped Applegate examine documents for clues beyond just
names and ages. In the 1940 census, for example, they looked at the years of schooling
for each household member as well as the months out of work. They put those details
into the context of the lingering Great Depression and what that meant for the family.<br>
<br>
If you missed the episode, <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">keep
an eye on the "Who Do You Think You Are?" website for a link to watch it online</a>.<br>
<br>
To find <i>Family Tree Magazine</i> guides and video classes for doing genealogy research
in vital records, the census, newspapers and other records, visit <a href="http://shopfamilytree.com/?lid=DHftbl073113-store">ShopFamilyTree.com</a>.
You can use the search box at the top of the site or <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/genealogy-records">browse
the Genealogy Records category</a>.<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=61a72507-42df-4bb2-9bde-fd03fd570663" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,61a72507-42df-4bb2-9bde-fd03fd570663.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootscensus recordscourt recordsNewspapersResearch TipsVital Recordshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=a764e912-0ba4-4738-a526-41e3eb8016fehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a764e912-0ba4-4738-a526-41e3eb8016fe.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a764e912-0ba4-4738-a526-41e3eb8016fe.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=a764e912-0ba4-4738-a526-41e3eb8016fe
Remember to sit yourself down in front of the TV or set your DVR tonight for "Who
Do you Think You Are?" with actress Christina Applegate. It airs at 9 p.m. (8
p.m. Central) on TLC (and it looks like each episode will become available for viewing
online).

I look forward to Tuesdays now not just because genealogy's on TV, but also because
I get to pick what we watch. "It's for work" is a pretty good excuse.

In this preview video for the episode, Applegate is surprised to learn her grandparents
had a troubled relationship and separated before her father was born.

It's "Who Do You Think You Are?" Night!http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,a764e912-0ba4-4738-a526-41e3eb8016fe.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/30/ItsWhoDoYouThinkYouAreNight.aspx
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 13:29:59 GMT Remember to sit yourself down in front of the TV or set your DVR
tonight for <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/christina-applegate-preview.htm">"Who
Do you Think You Are?" with actress Christina Applegate</a>. It airs at 9 p.m. (8
p.m. Central) on TLC (and it looks like each episode will become available for viewing
online).<br>
<br>
I look forward to Tuesdays now not just because genealogy's on TV, but also because
I get to pick what we watch. "It's for work" is a pretty good excuse.<br>
<br>
In this preview video for the episode, Applegate is surprised to learn her grandparents
had a troubled relationship and separated before her father was born.<br>
<br>
<iframe id="dit-video-embed" src="http://snagplayer.video.dp.discovery.com/833265/snag-it-player.htm?auto=no" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" width="640">
</iframe>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=a764e912-0ba4-4738-a526-41e3eb8016fe" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,a764e912-0ba4-4738-a526-41e3eb8016fe.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsVideoshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=ea2cf296-8080-4702-927a-0bdf120ba3fdhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,ea2cf296-8080-4702-927a-0bdf120ba3fd.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,ea2cf296-8080-4702-927a-0bdf120ba3fd.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=ea2cf296-8080-4702-927a-0bdf120ba3fd2
Did you watch “Who
Do You Think You Are?” last night?

In the season premiere on TLC, singer Kelly Clarkson traced her third-great-grandfather
Isaiah Rose from Marietta, Ohio, to his imprisonment at the notorious Andersonville
Civil War prison, and back home after his escape. There, he served as county sheriff
and a state senator.

The story is common: Lots of Americans have Civil War soldier ancestors, many of whom
were held at Andersonville and other prisons. The genealogy research is very doable—and
you don’t have to drive around the country like Clarkson did, or meet with a slew
of Civil War experts.

It’s neat for "WDYTYA?" viewers to see the original historical records, but the same
records Clarkson used are available online or by ordering from repositories. For example:

You Don't Have to Be Kelly Clarkson to Research Your Civil War Ancestorhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,ea2cf296-8080-4702-927a-0bdf120ba3fd.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/24/YouDontHaveToBeKellyClarksonToResearchYourCivilWarAncestor.aspx
Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:59:15 GMT Did you watch “<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>” last night?
<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/kelly-clarkson.png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
In the season premiere on TLC, singer Kelly Clarkson traced her third-great-grandfather
Isaiah Rose from Marietta, Ohio, to his imprisonment at the notorious Andersonville
Civil War prison, and back home after his escape. There, he served as county sheriff
and a state senator.
<br>
<br>
The story is common: Lots of Americans have Civil War soldier ancestors, many of whom
were held at Andersonville and other prisons. The genealogy research is very doable—and
you don’t have to drive around the country like Clarkson did, or meet with a slew
of Civil War experts.
<br>
<br>
It’s neat for "WDYTYA?" viewers to see the original historical records, but the same
records Clarkson used are available online or by ordering from repositories. For example:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
The Union <b>compiled military service record</b>, or CMSR, Clarkson was shown at
the <a href="http://www.ohiohistory.org/collections--archives/archives-library">Ohio
Historical Society</a>, is available <a href="http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2002/fall/military-records-overview.html">by
ordering from the National Archives</a>. Records of those who enlisted from various
Union and Confederate states are on the free <a href="http://www.familysearch.org">FamilySearch.org</a> and
the subscription-based<a href="http://search.ancestry.com"> Ancestry.com</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Civil War battle reports</b>, such as the one from the 63rd Ohio that a researcher
showed Clarkson at the <a href="http://www.dekalbhistory.org/">DeKalb (Ga.) History
Center</a>,&nbsp; are part of the <a href="http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/sources/records/"><i>The
War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Armies</i></a>, also called the OR. You can use the OR online, or just run a web search
of the battle name and "battle report."
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>Civil War prison rolls and registers</b> are at the National Archives in Record
Group 249, Records of the Commissary General of Prisoners. Ancestry.com has <a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3708">a
database of Andersonville prisoners</a> and another <a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1124">database
of records from several Civil War prisons</a>. FamilySearch.org has <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2019835">digitized
NARA microfilm M1303</a>, Selected Records of the War Department Commissary General
of Prisoners Relating to Federal Prisoners of War Confined at Andersonville, GA, 1864-65.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
On her second visit to the Ohio Historical Society, Clarkson saw Isaiah Rose's <b>Civil
War pension application</b> records. Subscription site <a href="http://www.fold3.com/title_24/civil_war_widows_pensions/">Fold3.com
has some digitized Civil War pension records</a>, but for most, <a href="http://www.archives.gov/research/military/genealogy.html">you'd
need to order the records from the National Archives</a> for a fee.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Note that many public libraries and <a href="https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator">FamilySearch
Centers</a> offer patrons the use of Fold3 and Ancestry Library Edition for free.<br>
</p>
<p>
These are just a few of the available resources for tracing your Civil War ancestor.
You'll find many more Civil War genealogy resources, tools and how-to information
in <a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/civil-war-genealogy-value-pack-u3378/?lid=DHftbl072413u3378"><i>Family
Tree Magazine</i>'s Civil War Genealogy Value Pack</a>, which happens to be on sale
now—<a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/civil-war-genealogy-value-pack-u3378/?lid=DHftbl072413u3378">click
here to learn more about it</a>.<br>
</p>
All that driving from place to place adds historical interest to the show, but it's
not realistic for most of us. Thank goodness it's also not necessary for researching
in Civil War records.<br>
<br>
PS: TLC shared on Facebook <a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/kelly-clarkson.htm#mkcpgn=fbtlc43">where
you can watch the whole episode online</a>.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=ea2cf296-8080-4702-927a-0bdf120ba3fd" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,ea2cf296-8080-4702-927a-0bdf120ba3fd.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsCivil WarLibraries and ArchivesNARAhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=20ed082e-266a-4318-a31f-07e34d15bc3bhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,20ed082e-266a-4318-a31f-07e34d15bc3b.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,20ed082e-266a-4318-a31f-07e34d15bc3b.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=20ed082e-266a-4318-a31f-07e34d15bc3b2
The US show "Who Do You Think You Are?" doesn't debut on TLC until July 23, but you
already can watch the first episode, featuring singer Kelly Clarkson, on iTunes. Thomas
MacEntee of GeneaBloggers tells you how (you'll need to sign up for an Apple ID
if you're not already on iTunes).

This morning I watched along as Clarkson traced her Civil War ancestor Isaiah Rose
from Ohio to Georgia, where he was imprisoned at Andersonville, and back.

Kelly Clarkson is a hugger. It seems weird to me to hug the archivists and historians
at the library, but then I'm not a big hugger in general. If you're learning remarkable
and humbling new stories about your ancestors, maybe hugging would be part of your
genealogy happy dance.

I don't want to give too much away before the episode airs. So all I'll say is that
viewers get to visit the Andersonville
National Historic Site, see historical illustrations and photos (including a shocking
image of a man who was held there), and hear a contemporary account from a prisoner.
To me, that's the best part of the show—you learn about the history that might have
affected your own ancestors and that shaped our country.

Watch the "Who Do You Think You Are?" Kelly Clarkson Episode on iTuneshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,20ed082e-266a-4318-a31f-07e34d15bc3b.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/15/WatchTheWhoDoYouThinkYouAreKellyClarksonEpisodeOnITunes.aspx
Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:33:30 GMT The US show "Who Do You Think You Are?" doesn't debut on TLC until
July 23, but you already can watch the first episode, featuring
singer Kelly Clarkson, on iTunes. <a href="http://geneabloggers.com/download-kelly-clarkson-episode-wdyta-tlc-free/">Thomas
MacEntee of GeneaBloggers tells you how</a> (you'll need to sign up for an Apple ID
if you're not already on iTunes).<br>
<br>
This morning I watched along as Clarkson traced her Civil War ancestor Isaiah Rose
from Ohio to Georgia, where he was imprisoned at Andersonville, and back.
<br>
<br>
Kelly Clarkson is a hugger. It seems weird to me to hug the archivists and historians
at the library, but then I'm not a big hugger in general. If you're learning remarkable
and humbling new stories about your ancestors, maybe hugging would be part of your
genealogy happy dance.
<br>
<br>
I don't want to give too much away before the episode airs. So all I'll say is that
viewers get to visit the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/ande/index.htm">Andersonville
National Historic Site</a>, see historical illustrations and photos (including a shocking
image of a man who was held there), and hear a contemporary account from a prisoner.
To me, that's the best part of the show—you learn about the history that might have
affected your own ancestors and that shaped our country.<br>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=20ed082e-266a-4318-a31f-07e34d15bc3b" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,20ed082e-266a-4318-a31f-07e34d15bc3b.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=8b8a1d72-13f0-453d-a344-f46441bd46d6http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,8b8a1d72-13f0-453d-a344-f46441bd46d6.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,8b8a1d72-13f0-453d-a344-f46441bd46d6.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=8b8a1d72-13f0-453d-a344-f46441bd46d61
Excited for the fourth season of "Who
Do You Think You Are?" premiering July 23 on TLC? Here's a video preview.

It's longer than the teaser that was released at the end of June, and drops clues
to the family history surprises in store for some of the celebrity guests. You'll
see them in the video: Kelly Clarkson, Zooey Deschanel, Chris O'Donnell, Christina
Applegate, Jim Parsons, Cindy Crawford, Trisha Yearwood and Chelsea Handler. (We
posted here about who these people are.)

Watch a Preview of "Who Do You Think You Are?" on TLChttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,8b8a1d72-13f0-453d-a344-f46441bd46d6.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/07/09/WatchAPreviewOfWhoDoYouThinkYouAreOnTLC.aspx
Tue, 09 Jul 2013 16:23:45 GMTExcited for the fourth season of "<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" premiering July 23 on TLC? Here's a video preview.
<br>
<br>
It's longer than the teaser that was released at the end of June, and drops clues
to the family history surprises in store for some of the celebrity guests. You'll
see them in the video: Kelly Clarkson, Zooey Deschanel, Chris O'Donnell, Christina
Applegate, Jim Parsons, Cindy Crawford, Trisha Yearwood and Chelsea Handler. (<a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/06/27/WhoDoYouThinkYouAre2013CelebrityLineupBazinga.aspx">We
posted here about who these people are</a>.)&nbsp;
<br>
<br>
<br>
<script src="http://player.ooyala.com/player.js?video_pcode=VlajQ6DTdv9-OYPHSJq6w4eU0Bfi&amp;deepLinkEmbedCode=kyaWU1ZDo_lCaNeXyaA91cyu4WWBIFl3&amp;height=337&amp;embedCode=kyaWU1ZDo_lCaNeXyaA91cyu4WWBIFl3&amp;width=600"></script>
<p>
</p>
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TLC has announced the full lineup of starpower on the fourth season of "Who Do You
Think You Are?," which premiers Tuesday, July 23. TLC picked up the series after NBC
dropped it last year.

These are the season's celebrity guests. I added a bit of info on where you might
recognize them from and on their ancestry:

Zooey Deschanel:You may know this actress (she's pictured in
the screenshot above) and musician as the quirky title character of “New Girl” on
Fox. Her surname comes from her French paternal grandfather; she also has Swiss, Dutch,
English and Irish roots.

Chris O'Donnell: As his parents’ surnames—O'Donnell and Rohs von Brecht—would
suggest, this “NCIS: Los Angeles” actor (he also was on the big screen as Robin to
batmen Val Kilmer and George Clooney) has Irish and German ancestry.

Christina Applegate:This
“Married … with Children,”and “Samantha
Who?” actress was born into the business: Her parents are record company executive
Robert W. Applegate and singer and actress Nancy Lee Priddy

Jim Parsons: The episode featuring this "Big Bang Theory" star (trademark line:
"Bazinga!") is the one I'm most anticipating. BBT is a favorite in our house, and
I'd love to see what Parsons is like when he steps out of the role of Sheldon Cooper.
The Houston native reportedly has English, Scottish, French and German heritage.

Cindy Crawford: German, English and French make up the bulk of this supermodel’s
ancestry. She was “discovered” by a newspaper photographer as she detasseled corn
in her DeKalb, Ill., hometown. Her appearance
at the Connecticut State Library in May clued us in that she was filming for WDYTYA?

Trisha Yearwood: This country singer does it all: She's also an actress, cookbook
author and host of her own cooking show on the Food Network. She was born in Monticello,
Ga.

Chelsea Handler:A comedian, actress and talk show host from Livingston, NJ,
Handler has a German Mormon mother and a Jewish father.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" 2013 Celebrity Lineup (Bazinga!)http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,7f5f52ab-1229-4d08-bed1-2b4fccfa4008.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/06/27/WhoDoYouThinkYouAre2013CelebrityLineupBazinga.aspx
Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:21:55 GMT TLC has announced the full lineup of starpower on the fourth season
of "Who Do You Think You Are?," which premiers Tuesday, July 23.
TLC picked up the series after NBC dropped it last year.<br>
<br>
<img src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/content/binary/wdytya[1].png" border="0">
<br>
<br>
These are the season's celebrity guests. I added a bit of info on where you might
recognize them from and on their ancestry:<br>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Kelly Clarkson:</b>The first winner of “American Idol” back in 2002, this singer-songwriter
from Fort Worth has Greek and Welsh roots. <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/02/26/RumorsFlyKellyClarksonFilmingWhoDoYouThinkYouAreForTLC.aspx">A
Clarkson sighting in Sumter County, Ga., in February</a> prompted reports she was
filming at the Andersonville National Historic Site.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Zooey Deschanel:</b> <span style="">You may know this actress (she's pictured in
the screenshot above) and musician as the quirky title character of “New Girl” on
Fox. Her surname comes from her French paternal grandfather; she also has Swiss, Dutch,
English and Irish roots.</span>
<br>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">
<br>
</span>
</li>
<li>
<b>Chris O'Donnell:</b> As his parents’ surnames—O'Donnell and Rohs von Brecht—would
suggest, this “NCIS: Los Angeles” actor (he also was on the big screen as Robin to
batmen Val Kilmer and George Clooney) has Irish and German ancestry.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>Christina Applegate:</b> <span style="mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">This
“Married … with Children,”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>and “Samantha
Who?” actress was born into the business: Her parents are record company executive
Robert W. Applegate and singer and actress </span>Nancy Lee Priddy<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>Jim Parsons:</b> The episode featuring this "Big Bang Theory" star (trademark line:
"Bazinga!") is the one I'm most anticipating. BBT is a favorite in our house, and
I'd love to see what Parsons is like when he steps out of the role of Sheldon Cooper.
The Houston native reportedly has English, Scottish, French and German heritage.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>Cindy Crawford:</b> German, English and French make up the bulk of this supermodel’s
ancestry. She was “discovered” by a newspaper photographer as she detasseled corn
in her DeKalb, Ill., hometown. Her <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/05/10/GenealogyNewsCorralMay610.aspx">appearance
at the Connecticut State Library in May</a> clued us in that she was filming for WDYTYA?<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<b>Trisha Yearwood:</b> This country singer does it all: She's also an actress, cookbook
author and host of her own cooking show on the Food Network. She was born in Monticello,
Ga.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Chelsea Handler:</b>A comedian, actress and talk show host from Livingston, NJ,
Handler has a German Mormon mother and a Jewish father.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/about-the-show/about-the-show.htm">TLC's
"Who Do YouThink You Are?" website is here</a>.
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/who-do-you-think-you-are.htm">Watch
a short teaser for "Who Do You Think You Are?" season 4 here</a>.<br>
<br>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=7f5f52ab-1229-4d08-bed1-2b4fccfa4008" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,7f5f52ab-1229-4d08-bed1-2b4fccfa4008.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=67fa515b-791f-4d26-ac4e-74a08c14340dhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,67fa515b-791f-4d26-ac4e-74a08c14340d.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,67fa515b-791f-4d26-ac4e-74a08c14340d.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=67fa515b-791f-4d26-ac4e-74a08c14340d5
It's official: Ancestry.com has confirmed the
rumors that "Who Do You
Think You Are?" is coming to TLC.

The show will premiere July 23. Eight episodes will feature celebrities including
actresses Christina Applegate and Zooey Deschanel, and supermodel Cindy Crawford.

As a sponsor, Ancestry.com provides family history research on the featured celebrities.
The US version of the celebrity-genealogy show, produced by Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky
of Is or Isn't Entertainment, aired for three seasons on NBC and was canceled after
the 2012 season.

"Who Do You Think You Are?" Premieres July 23 on TLC http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,67fa515b-791f-4d26-ac4e-74a08c14340d.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/05/22/WhoDoYouThinkYouArePremieresJuly23OnTLC.aspx
Wed, 22 May 2013 12:36:11 GMT It's official: Ancestry.com has confirmed <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/05/10/GenealogyNewsCorralMay610.aspx">the
rumors</a> that "<a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/">Who Do You
Think You Are?</a>" is coming to TLC.<br>
<br>
The show will premiere July 23. Eight episodes will feature celebrities including
actresses Christina Applegate and Zooey Deschanel, and supermodel Cindy Crawford.
<br>
<br>
Ancestry.com's announcement didn't name Singer Kelly Clarkson, but <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2013/02/26/RumorsFlyKellyClarksonFilmingWhoDoYouThinkYouAreForTLC.aspx">a
Clarkson sighting in Andersonville, Ga., sparked rumors she'll also appear</a>.
<br>
<br>
As a sponsor, Ancestry.com provides family history research on the featured celebrities.
The US version of the celebrity-genealogy show, produced by Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky
of Is or Isn't Entertainment, aired for three seasons on NBC and was canceled after
the 2012 season.<br>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=67fa515b-791f-4d26-ac4e-74a08c14340d" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,67fa515b-791f-4d26-ac4e-74a08c14340d.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Ancestry.comCelebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=e2c739d5-6451-41e8-9e2f-8928ac93c164http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,e2c739d5-6451-41e8-9e2f-8928ac93c164.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,e2c739d5-6451-41e8-9e2f-8928ac93c164.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=e2c739d5-6451-41e8-9e2f-8928ac93c164

Deen's parents died when she was a young woman, so not much family information had
made its way to her. The show focused on her third-great-grandfather John Batts, a
slaveowning planter and member of the Georgia legislature from 1857 to 1860.

Batts' son William (brother to Deen's great-great-grandmother Eliza Batts) fought
for the confederates in the 12th Georgia regiment during the Civil War. The Georgia
Archives actually had letters he'd written home, as well as letters from his commanding
officer. These missives gave Deen an intimate view into William's experiences and
his family's reaction after he was killed in action.

At Fold3—the first time I can remember this subscription
site being shown on WDYTYA?—Deen finds John Batts' application for a pardon from the
US government. Most of the South was covered by President
Andrew Johnson's blanket pardon, but wealthy planters like Batts had to swear
loyalty and provide documentation they'd freed their slaves.

Tax records at Emory University show John Batts' fate. Things went downhill for the
family after an economic depression in 1873. Deen and a researcher note declining
values of John's personal and real estate until 1879, when the records show all zeros.
A newspaper article reveals that John, sadly, had committed suicide.

Friday on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Paula Deenhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,e2c739d5-6451-41e8-9e2f-8928ac93c164.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/05/21/FridayOnWhoDoYouThinkYouArePaulaDeen.aspx
Mon, 21 May 2012 13:27:01 GMT
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<title></title>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<p style="text-align: left;">
On Friday's final episode of the NBC genealogy show "<a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a>" TV chef <a href="http://www.pauladeen.com/">Paula Deen</a> crisscrossed
the state of Georgia tracing her maternal roots.<br>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Deen's parents died when she was a young woman, so not much family information had
made its way to her. The show focused on her third-great-grandfather John Batts, a
slaveowning planter and member of the Georgia legislature from 1857 to 1860.<br>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Batts' son William (brother to Deen's great-great-grandmother Eliza Batts) fought
for the confederates in the 12th Georgia regiment during the Civil War. The <a href="http://sos.georgia.gov/archives/">Georgia
Archives</a> actually had letters he'd written home, as well as letters from his commanding
officer. These missives gave Deen an intimate view into William's experiences and
his family's reaction after he was killed in action.<br>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
At <a href="http://fold3.com">Fold3</a>—the first time I can remember this subscription
site being shown on WDYTYA?—Deen finds John Batts' application for a pardon from the
US government. Most of the South was covered by <a href="http://www.sewanee.edu/faculty/Willis/Civil_War/documents/AndrewJ.html">President
Andrew Johnson's blanket pardon</a>, but wealthy planters like Batts had to swear
loyalty and provide documentation they'd freed their slaves.<br>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Tax records at Emory University show John Batts' fate. Things went downhill for the
family after an economic depression in 1873. Deen and a researcher note declining
values of John's personal and real estate until 1879, when the records show all zeros.
A newspaper article reveals that John, sadly, had committed suicide.
<br>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Although <a href="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/05/14/NBCWontRenewWhoDoYouThinkYouAre.aspx">"Who
Do You Think You Are?" won't be returning next season</a>, <a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/paula-deen-ratings/">GeneaBloggers
reports that</a> for the first time this season, the episode came in first for viewership
in its time slot and was the third-most-watched show for the evening.<br>
</p>
<p style="text-align:left">
These two short videos show research not included in Friday's episode, about Deen's
fifth-great-grandfather Joel Walker, an early Georgia settler in the Savannah area.<br>
<br>
<iframe id="NBC Video Widget" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=1402465" frameborder="0" height="347" width="512">
</iframe>
</p>
<br>
<iframe id="NBC Video Widget" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=1402481" frameborder="0" height="347" width="512">
</iframe>
<p style="text-align:left">
<a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/video/paula-deen/1402390">You
can watch the full episode about Paula Deen's family history journey here</a>.<br>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=e2c739d5-6451-41e8-9e2f-8928ac93c164" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,e2c739d5-6451-41e8-9e2f-8928ac93c164.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsCivil WarFold3http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=7caa27e7-9443-47f4-ac92-e2ef73d5d5f9http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,7caa27e7-9443-47f4-ac92-e2ef73d5d5f9.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,7caa27e7-9443-47f4-ac92-e2ef73d5d5f9.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=7caa27e7-9443-47f4-ac92-e2ef73d5d5f9 This week's season finale of "Who
Do You Think You Are?" is
also the series finale, at least on NBC. In the show, chef
Paula Deen learns about her family history in the Deep South. She discovers a
senator, slave owners and family letters. Here's a short preview:

So, the show: Actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis researched his dad's paternal line,
discovering a legacy of sons who grew up without their dads.

A death record told Sudeikis his dad's dad, Stanley, died young, at age 32, from a
fall, and shared a residence in Chicago with an unknown woman who was the informant
on the record. A coroner's investigation shed more light on the situation: The woman
was a cousin who testified that Stanley abused alcohol and slept in the park.

Court records showed Sudeikis his grandmother had filed for a legal separation from
her husband because he'd abandoned the family. He'd never met Sudeikis dad.

It turned out he was living what he knew. In census and marriage records, Sudeikis
found that Stanley's father, Stanley Sr., had abandoned his first wife (Sudeikis'
great-grandmother) and married another woman in Connecticut. There was no record of
a divorce from the earlier marriage.

Stanley Sr.'s father died in Pennsylvania in a mining accident when his son was a
boy.

Not all family legacies are positive, but I like how this episode shows family history
can be rewarding even when you're learning some sad truths. At the end of the episode,
Sudeikis honors his dad for breaking a cycle, and being a great father even though
he didn't have a model to follow.

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Not All Family Legacies Are Happyhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,bb003c05-cb34-4ab9-b79e-bf9f00f04f2d.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/05/12/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreNotAllFamilyLegaciesAreHappy.aspx
Sat, 12 May 2012 15:52:20 GMT<p>
</p>
The young woman I bought coffee from this morning (before heading to our booth at
the <a href="http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info">National Genealogical
Society conference in Cincinnati</a>) was talking about <a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/video/">last
night's "Who Do You Think You Are?"</a> and how she wants to check out the exhibit
hall today. Which is what we hope the show will do--be the spark that takes someone's
interest in family history and turns it into action.
<p>
So, the show: Actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis researched his dad's paternal line,
discovering a legacy of sons who grew up without their dads.
<p>
A death record told Sudeikis his dad's dad, Stanley, died young, at age 32, from a
fall, and shared a residence in Chicago with an unknown woman who was the informant
on the record. A coroner's investigation shed more light on the situation: The woman
was a cousin who testified that Stanley abused alcohol and slept in the park.
<p>
Court records showed Sudeikis his grandmother had filed for a legal separation from
her husband because he'd abandoned the family. He'd never met Sudeikis dad.
<p>
It turned out he was living what he knew. In census and marriage records, Sudeikis
found that Stanley's father, Stanley Sr., had abandoned his first wife (Sudeikis'
great-grandmother) and married another woman in Connecticut. There was no record of
a divorce from the earlier marriage.
<p>
Stanley Sr.'s father died in Pennsylvania in a mining accident when his son was a
boy.
<p>
Not all family legacies are positive, but I like how this episode shows family history
can be rewarding even when you're learning some sad truths. At the end of the episode,
Sudeikis honors his dad for breaking a cycle, and being a great father even though
he didn't have a model to follow.
<p>
<a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/video/">You can watch this show
online at the "Who Do You Think You Are?" website</a>.
<p>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=bb003c05-cb34-4ab9-b79e-bf9f00f04f2d" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,bb003c05-cb34-4ab9-b79e-bf9f00f04f2d.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity Rootshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=17be7077-c0d6-440e-885f-9f0b6608ec7bhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,17be7077-c0d6-440e-885f-9f0b6608ec7b.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,17be7077-c0d6-440e-885f-9f0b6608ec7b.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=17be7077-c0d6-440e-885f-9f0b6608ec7b

Actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis, known for his performances on "Saturday Night Live,"
is the guest on this week's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" on NBC. Episode promos promise "one shock after another"
in Sudeikis' family tree.

Here's a video sneak peek at the show:

Tonight on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Jason Sudeikishttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,17be7077-c0d6-440e-885f-9f0b6608ec7b.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/05/11/TonightOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreJasonSudeikis.aspx
Fri, 11 May 2012 18:58:07 GMT<p>
</p>
Actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis, known for his performances on "Saturday Night Live,"
is the guest on this week's <a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are">"Who
Do You Think You Are?"</a> on NBC. Episode promos promise "one shock after another"
in Sudeikis' family tree.
<p>
Here's a video sneak peek at the show:
<p>
<iframe id="NBC Video Widget" width="512" height="347" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=1400023" frameborder="0">
</iframe>
<img width="0" height="0" src="http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/aggbug.ashx?id=17be7077-c0d6-440e-885f-9f0b6608ec7b" />http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,17be7077-c0d6-440e-885f-9f0b6608ec7b.aspx"Who Do You Think You Are?"Celebrity RootsVideoshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/Trackback.aspx?guid=623b73e1-5f29-4f51-a759-7bfd9e9b2899http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/pingback.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,623b73e1-5f29-4f51-a759-7bfd9e9b2899.aspxDianehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/CommentView,guid,623b73e1-5f29-4f51-a759-7bfd9e9b2899.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/SyndicationService.asmx/GetEntryCommentsRss?guid=623b73e1-5f29-4f51-a759-7bfd9e9b2899

This Friday on NBC's
"Who Do You Think You Are?" actress Rashida Jones (you might recognize her from
"Parks and Recreation") uncovers her maternal family history from Manhattan to Eastern
Europe—and finds answers to her grandmother's missing years.

Here's a little preview:

Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 Central on NBC.

This Friday on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Rashida Joneshttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,623b73e1-5f29-4f51-a759-7bfd9e9b2899.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/05/02/ThisFridayOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreRashidaJones.aspx
Wed, 02 May 2012 19:15:20 GMT<p>
</p>
This Friday on <a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/" target="_blank">NBC's
"Who Do You Think You Are?"</a> actress Rashida Jones (you might recognize her from
"Parks and Recreation") uncovers her maternal family history from Manhattan to Eastern
Europe—and finds answers to her grandmother's missing years.
<p>
Here's a little preview:
</p>
<p>
<iframe id="NBC Video Widget" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=1398788" frameborder="0" height="347" width="512">
</iframe>
</p>
<p>
Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 Central on NBC.
</p>
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In Friday's "Who Do You Think You Are?" actor Rob Lowe learned about his Revolutionary
War-era ancestor.

But something was wrong: The application had been "closed" because it was discovered
that Lowe's ancestor John Christopher East had been mixed up with a similarly named
soldier.

Previews hinted at a twist in this episode. It came when a historian showed Lowe his
ancestor on a list of prisoners who'd been part of Rohl's Regiment. A sparkle in the
historian's eye hinted that he knew something, but only when he showed Lowe George
Washington's personal papers did Lowe realize Rohl was a commander of German
Hessian troops.

East (listed under his German name, Oeste Cristophe) was among the troops Gen. Washington
defeated in the Battle
of Trenton, when his soldiers crossed the Delaware River to surprise the Hessians
at Christmas.

I remember learning in grade school about these 30,000 men the British hired to fight
the Americans, and we kids thought that was pretty bad.

But Lowe's research revealed Cristophe as a sympathetic figure: Among the youngest
of eight children, he wouldn't have inherited land or even had the means to marry
in Germany. He took a risk in leaving for America at age 22—then staying (as about
15 percent of the Hessians did) after his release from prison.

This story has a happy ending. Taylor's researchers found Christophe on a list of
Americans who paid a tax levied to raise money for the war. Lowe is descended from
a Patriot after all and he was invited to apply for the Sons
of the American Revolution lineage society.

"Who Do You Think You Are?": Rob Lowe and His Revolutionary War Ancestorhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,29f3e386-722e-451c-996e-41498be33417.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/04/30/WhoDoYouThinkYouAreRobLoweAndHisRevolutionaryWarAncestor.aspx
Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:03:33 GMT<p>
</p>
In Friday's "Who Do You Think You Are?" actor Rob Lowe learned about his Revolutionary
War-era ancestor.
<p>
<a href="http://findmypast.com">FindMyPast.com</a>'s Josh Taylor helped Lowe find
him in the <a href="http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search/?Tab_ID=0" target="_blank">Daughters
of the American Revolution Genealogical Research System</a>, which lets you search
online for a Revolutionary-era ancestor on which a DAR member's application is based,
or for people named in the lineages in DAR applications.
</p>
<p>
(<a href="http://www.shopfamilytree.com/tutorial-searching-daughters-of-the-american-revolution-databases/?lid=ftdhbl043012w7758" target="_blank">You
can download our tutorial on searching the DAR database on sale for just $1.59 from
ShopFamilyTree.com</a>.)
</p>
<p>
But something was wrong: The application had been "closed" because it was discovered
that Lowe's ancestor John Christopher East had been mixed up with a similarly named
soldier.
</p>
<p>
Previews hinted at a twist in this episode. It came when a historian showed Lowe his
ancestor on a list of prisoners who'd been part of Rohl's Regiment. A sparkle in the
historian's eye hinted that he knew something, but only when he showed Lowe <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/">George
Washington's personal papers</a> did Lowe realize Rohl was a commander of <a href="http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/popup_hessians.html" target="_blank">German
Hessian troops</a>.
</p>
<p>
East (listed under his German name, Oeste Cristophe) was among the troops Gen. Washington
defeated in the <a href="http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/battledetail.aspx?battle=14" target="_blank">Battle
of Trenton</a>, when his soldiers crossed the Delaware River to surprise the Hessians
at Christmas.
</p>
<p>
I remember learning in grade school about these 30,000 men the British hired to fight
the Americans, and we kids thought that was pretty bad.
<br>
</p>
<p>
But Lowe's research revealed Cristophe as a sympathetic figure: Among the youngest
of eight children, he wouldn't have inherited land or even had the means to marry
in Germany. He took a risk in leaving for America at age 22—then staying (as about
15 percent of the Hessians did) after his release from prison.
</p>
<p>
This story has a happy ending. Taylor's researchers found Christophe on a list of
Americans who paid a tax levied to raise money for the war. Lowe is descended from
a Patriot after all and he was invited to apply for the <a href="http://www.sar.org/" target="_blank">Sons
of the American Revolution</a> lineage society.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/lineagesocieties" target="_blank">Learn
more about lineage societies in this FamilyTreeMagazine.com article</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
Family Tree Magazine Podcast host Lisa Louise Cooke <a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/episode14">discussed
the bounty of the DAR library in the July 2009 episode</a>—<a href="http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/episode14">listen
free on FamilyTreeMagazine.com</a> or in iTunes.
<br>
</li>
</ul>
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In the first new "Who Do You Think You Are?" in a few weeks, this Friday's episode
has actor Rob Lowe exploring his roots. I've heard whisperings that this is a great
episode with some surprising stories.

This promo video sure has a lot of superlatives:

Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" Friday on NBC at 8 Eastern/7 Central.

This Friday on "Who Do You Think You Are?": Rob Lowehttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,6a788cf3-08ab-47da-8cfc-418dc672f27b.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/04/26/ThisFridayOnWhoDoYouThinkYouAreRobLowe.aspx
Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:58:13 GMT<p>
</p>
In the first new "Who Do You Think You Are?" in a few weeks, this Friday's episode
has actor Rob Lowe exploring his roots. I've heard whisperings that this is a great
episode with some surprising stories.
<br>
<br>
This promo video sure has a lot of superlatives:
<p>
<iframe id="NBC Video Widget" src="http://www.nbc.com/assets/video/widget/widget.html?vid=1395312" frameborder="0" height="347" width="512">
</iframe>
</p>
<p>
Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" Friday on NBC at 8 Eastern/7 Central.
</p>
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Military records subscription site Fold3 has added records
relating to the Sultana disaster. That's the steamboat whose boilers exploded
April 27, 1865, killing 1,700 (mostly Civil War Union soldiers recently released from
Confederate POW camps). The ship was carrying 2,200 passengers—far more than the 376
she was built for. Records include lists of former prisoners who survived and those
who died. The records are free
to search, at least for the time being.

Besides adding 1940 census records and coordinatng the 1940 Census Community Project,
FamilySearch has continued adding other records to the free FamilySearch.org.
The new resources include seignorial records from the Czech Republic; city records
from Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany; church records from Estonia, Portugal and Slovakia;
and marriages from New Jersey. See
the updated colelctions and click through to them here.

Remember to watch "Finding
Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr." this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on PBS, which
will feature actors Robert Downey Jr. and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The European-immigrant
stories in both stars' pasts are common to many Americans.

NBC's "Who
Do You Think You Are?" tonight will repeat the popular Reba McEntire episode.
Next Friday will be an all-new episode featuring actor Rob Lowe.

Genealogy News Corral, April 16-20http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/PermaLink,guid,83707805-3c47-4c16-9a32-0e09588abb9b.aspxhttp://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/04/20/GenealogyNewsCorralApril1620.aspx
Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:41:19 GMT<p>
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Military records subscription site Fold3 has added <b><a href="http://www.fold3.com/title_797/sultana_disaster_april_1865/" target="_blank">records
relating to the Sultana disaster</a></b>. That's the steamboat whose boilers exploded
April 27, 1865, killing 1,700 (mostly Civil War Union soldiers recently released from
Confederate POW camps). The ship was carrying 2,200 passengers—far more than the 376
she was built for. Records include lists of former prisoners who survived and those
who died. The records are <a href="http://www.fold3.com/title_797/sultana_disaster_april_1865/" target="_blank">free
to search</a>, at least for the time being.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
The <b><a href="http://www.cjh.org/" target="_blank">Center for Jewish History</a></b> (CJH)
has announced a partnership with Jewish genealogy expert <b>Miriam Weiner's <a href="http://www.rtrfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Routes
to Roots Foundation</a></b> (RTRF). CJH will incorporate RTRF’s Eastern European Archival
Database and Image Database into its online catalog, expanding access to genealogy
resources from Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine. Weiner will serve
as senior advisor for genealogy services at CJH's <a href="http://www.cjh.org/p/34" target="_blank">Ackman
&amp; Ziff Family Genealogy Institute</a>.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Besides adding 1940 census records and coordinatng the 1940 Census Community Project,
FamilySearch has continued <b>adding other records to the free FamilySearch.org</b>.
The new resources include seignorial records from the Czech Republic; city records
from Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany; church records from Estonia, Portugal and Slovakia;
and marriages from New Jersey. <a href="http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b0de542dc933cfcb848d187ea&amp;id=626e8c8539&amp;e=be1e8c1a4c" target="_blank">See
the updated colelctions and click through to them here</a>.<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Remember to watch "<b><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots" target="_blank">Finding
Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.</a></b>" this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on PBS, which
will feature actors Robert Downey Jr. and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The European-immigrant
stories in both stars' pasts are common to many Americans.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
NBC's "<b><a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/" target="_blank">Who
Do You Think You Are?</a></b>" tonight will repeat the popular Reba McEntire episode.
Next Friday will be an all-new episode featuring actor Rob Lowe.</li>
</ul>
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